Malt Mission 2007 #143

Glenfarclas 12 yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
43% abv
$50 (USD)

Gaelic anyone? 'Glen' means valley and 'farclas' means green grassland, according to George Grant. To hear a great interview with him click over to Whisky Cast's July 29th episode (listen HERE).

In the 1890s Glenfarclas was shared half and half between the Grant family and Pattison's of Leith. This proved to be a pretty catastrophic partnership for the Grants as Pattison's had forged a dynasty on credit and some questionable business practices. When the Pattison' crash came they took down nine other businesses with them and were found guilty of fraudulent flotation, fraud and embezzlement. The intelligence and persistence of John and George helped them survive this collapse and they formed J&G Grant in 1898 and a decade later they were one of the highest regarded distilleries in Speyside.

All Glenfarclas tasted on the mission can be read HERE.

TASTING NOTES:

Outdoorsy, earthy, with swamp and moss, clay and hay. Sunflower seeds, peanut oil, with sherried oak and a bit of maple.

Soft and firm and rich with peat smoke, eggwhites, cabbage, and some bready sweetness. Almost sour or sulphury reined in by a fruity sweetness that never goes too far in the other direction. Short finish of caramel, big oak and a touch of plastic. Or maybe not that short. Still lingering oak... still caramel...still...

SUMMARY:

A totally different experience to the 10yo, but impressive for exactly that reason. Good balance of flavours between sweet and sour, if a bit heavy on flat oak in the finish.

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