Glenfarclas 43 Year Old 1968/2011 Pedro Domecq Manzanilla Sherry Cask 697

Luc Timmermans, Belgian ex-Malt Maniac and notorious Glenfarclas collector himself, selected this 1968 cask in person. Domecq Manzanilla is a very delicate Fino sherry, made from the Palomino grapes, which grows on the Spanish coast. The whisky is then solera-matured in bodegas in Sanlucar de Barramede, where the climate is less hot and more humid than in Jerez de la Frontera. The sherry is pale, delicate and dry with a salty touch. Manzanilla, by the way, is synonymous with camomile.

The nose is very, very waxy with apricots and oranges, warm applepie and even some marzipan with a pinch of salt. The longer you leave it, the more you picture yourself on a tropical island. Very fruity. But also a touch of tonic (agrum?) – strange, unexpected, but interesting.

It coats the tongue and roof of the mouth completely with a creamy layer. My god, this is silky soft, tropical and yet feisty with a slight saltiness and bitterness. But so lively for a whisky of that age, delicate and crispy. The manzanilla cask has spoken and in no uncertain terms too.

The medium length finish almost makes you forget this is whisky, with its emphasis on the manzanilla sherry and the salty death.

This is an atypical Glenfarclas, I’m sure. But very good. Only 133 bottles are available, so hurry if you want to get your hands on this. Agreed, 350 EUR is a hefty price tag, but this is top notch whisky. And let us not forget the respectable age of 43 years (distilled in 1968, bottled on 9th May 2011).

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