Glenfarclas 185th Anniversary
Decadent Decades
4 391
Review by @cricklewood
- Nose~
- Taste~
- Finish~
- Balance~
- Overall91
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- Brand: Glenfarclas
- Type: Scotch
- Region: Speyside
- ABV: 46%
From a sample generously provided by a fellow Connosr
This was a special release to commemorate the 185th anniversary of this family owned distillery, purpoted to contain a vatting of casks going as far back as the 1960's. There's no specification as to the proportions nor the types of casks used (it's Glenfarclas so obviously gonna be some Sherry) just that it took about 2 years for them to come up with the exact recipe they wanted and it's limited to 6000 bottles.
Nose: Sultanas, plum pudding, cider apples, a lovely malty depth (digestive biscuits), a little beery side like gueuze, waxed orange rind. There's also a little herbal side, grape stem, chamomile, mint & a little earthy. It posseses a nice freshness, even bordering on tropical fruits at times, it's not all dark and somber Sherry like I expected it to be.
Palate: Almost effervescent at first, sunflower oil, sherry soaked raisins, a little tobacco, date paste, mangos, guava paste, some green peppercorn, a touch of caraway seed & a little dark chocolate. It's got great weight and texture.
Finish: Just lovely sharp oak, cocoa, dried sour cherries, mustard fruits, Earl Grey tea, super oily and viscous, great length.
Notes: This does really well at 46%, there's no age statement but you definitely get the feel of some older casks in the mix, it has both that oxydized side but it also feels much fruitier than what I normally get in Glenfarclas core range. The sherry is really nice, not cloying and heavy, you still get the malty side peaking through and that freshness again, I'm guessing a number of refill Sherry casks were used. Not one to look for if you want a sherry bomb but if you like the refill sherry profile & fruity (bordering on tropical) whisky then run don't walk.
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This was my top whisky for 2022. The blender put some thought into the blend. Moreover, there were not trying to hide bad or "off", single malts in the blend. The younger single malts complimented and accentuated the older components.