Glenfarclas 40 Year Old

First vapor: Marvelous cherry.

Nose: Cherry/vanilla-walnut/nectarine, most dominantly. Beyond this, some complex layers can be pulled out: Eucalyptus and fresh red plum flesh. Leather fogs these impressions-- and adds depth. Bold and dynamic.

Palate: Leather and caramel, with vanilla. (Just a tad lime rind.) A strong walnut sensation grows from these, meeting a potent & juicy caramel midpalate. Into the finish, more nutty leather, of cashew influence. There is not much for fruit, as the nose suggested, but it is not necessarily missed because of the strength and sophistication of the caramel/nut sensations.

Finish: Decrescendos from slightly sweet toffee-walnut to a drier coffee and that elegant leather again.

The 40 provides wonderful sensations, with the fewest bitter/sour notes. It may lack palate variety (or the brightness of e.g. the 15), but the flavors compensate with a refined character that is difficult to convey. Perhaps it is enough to say that the strongest flavors hit the right spots of nutty/caramel/vanilla/leather.

Whereas I found the 25 and 30 to be similar, I find the 40 has most in common with the 21. The difference is that the 40 is less overtly fruity, instead highlighting other deeper elements such as nuttiness.

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