Glenfarclas Old Speyside 1966

I got a sample of this special bottle for my 40th birthday from a good friend. It's the Old Speyside 1966/2006 40 Year Old M&H Cask of which only 270 bottles were filled.

All connoisseurs seems to agree that this is actually a Glenfarclas. Glenfarclas is one of the last family owned distilleries. They called themselves Glenlivet around 1850, but we all know who - after a long legal battle - was allowed to use that name. But Glenfarclas has quite a reputation of it's own by now. One of their biggest successes was the release to the general public of the first ever cask strenght whisky, the Glenfarclas 105 (which I have in my cabinet, but have not yet tasted).

This was not only my first Glenfarclas, but also the first time I tasted a 40 Year Old whisky, but it will definitely not be my last!

This dram is very dark, almost as dark as a cup of coffee, and very rich.

Err... This is whisky? When I smell it, my nose is full of rhum or Spanish dessert wine. Wow, that was unexpected. But very good. Oloroso sherry, to be sure. A mountain of raisins and a chocolate bar, incredibly sweet.

The higher ABV is explicit on the palate, where what you smelled is continued - raisins, chocolate and sherry - accompagnied by toffee, rhum and oranges (remember those sweets of dark chocolate with the orange fillings?).

The finish is lovely, but too short to my taste.

This was a wonderful birthday gift!

Find where to buy Glenfarclas whisky