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Glenfarclas 105 40yo Speyside Single Malt Whisky
60% abv £500
In 1968 George S Grant, grandfather of the George Grant some of us might know from his whiskevangelism around the world on behalf of his family's distillery, created a Christmas gifts for family and friends. He selected a single cask that was 105° British Proof (60%abv). Glenfarclas 105 was born becoming the first commercially available, direct-from-distillery, cask strength whisky.
Now, 40 years later, John L.S. Grant (George S. Grant's son) has created this special bottling to commemorate this monumental creation. With only 893 bottles released, this is a very special offering.
For more distillery info and to see all Glenfarclas had on the mission, click HERE.TASTING NOTES:Rich and sherry sweet, raisins, nutmeg and brown sugar. Meaty, braised short ribs, honey, toffee... finger lickin' good.Oh man... sherry, sappy or beeswaxy, and tasty treats fresh from the oven. Bakery for boozehounds: mincemeat pies, shortbread soaked in tea, baklava. Wild berries, vanilla cupcakes and a syrupy element that is hard to shake; not that you'd want to. SUMMARY:I do not know how they do it, but even at 60%, this whisky is wholly nose-able and although high impact on the palate, somehow smooth. Puzzling. And amazing. And worth celebrating. An excellent honour to one of my favourite go-to malts out there.
Malt Mission #330
Malt Mission #332
Malt Mission #333
Malt Mission #334
Malt Mission #335
Malt Mission HOME
Lonach "A Confidential Distillery in Speyside"
41 yo, 1966
Duncan Taylor
43.9% abv
£129
Yeah, I know. I disappeared for a bit. Get used to it. Things are changing in Dr. Whiskyland but I assure you that for no matter how many days this site remains silent, the clinic will always remain open. Now here's the doctor with a 41 year old... um... with a 41 year old...
So, from what distillery does this whisky come? Here are some clues.
- This is one of the few family controlled distilleries in Scotland
- Their stills are direct fired (by gas)
- I have not had a drop from this distillery for over 100 malt missions (although I have enjoyed it a few times with friends since November).
- The family behind this distillery shares their surname with other distilling family patriarchs William, John and James.
- This distillery famously forbids others from releasing their product under the distillery name, though it has certainly happened on occasion. The working title for this particular release was "Far A Bouts".
For all Duncan Taylor bottlings had on the mission, click HERE and for all products from this distillery had on the mission click HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
Deep and inviting like a cool lake in the sweat of summer. Has a toasted or baked character, cherry turnover, subtle oakiness. Hints of sherry, grape candy powder (Fun Dip?) and perfumy like shoe polish.
Much more toasty than the nose indicated, pleasantly fungal and oily verging on rubbery. Early sweetness is shortlived. Celery, pickled turnips, slightly metallic or even bloody. Good balsamic vinegar, oak, and the taste of eating carnations.
SUMMARY:
Hard, tired oak, but with a great nose. Not unpleasant, but certainly challenging on the palate after the initial sweetness and like a 41 year old athlete after an injury, it never really recovers.
Malt Mission #291
Malt Mission #292
Malt Mission #293
Malt Mission #294
Malt Mission HOME
Glenfarclas The Family Casks 1958
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
51.6% abv
£665
$1,995(CAD)
Well, I must say it has been an unusual week of dramming. Yes, it has been a privilege to be able to taste my way through 5 decades of Glenfarclas, but, man, has it been different than I expected.
I am a big fan of the core range of bottlings: the 105 is among the best bang-for-buck drops out there, I always recommend the 21yo to folks looking to buy a bottle for their dad/mom/friend/husband/wife who likes whisky(although we have not yet had it on the mission), and the 25yo was one of the best 3 whiskies I had in the first 100 Malt Missions. It seems to me, based on the 5 drops I have had this week, that The Family Cask series is a collection of unique, and sometimes odd, expressions from a consistently excellent distillery. After all, that is the fun in single cask expressions; finding interesting and unusual expressions of whiskies you thought you knew inside and out (I had two cRaZy Bowmores from the SMWS last night, for example). That is what drives malt maniacs to continue exploring the thousands of flavour possibilities available with Scotch whisky.
And they don't come cheap. Only the serious collector, lucky gift recipient, or wealthy whisky lover will be able to participate in the enjoyment of this range. Unfortunatley folks, that seems to be the way things are moving in the whisky world. Look around. There are fewer and fewer good drops between £15-25 and almost every new release that we have seen over the past year comes in at £30+. Don't lose hope. This increasing focus on luxury, this premiumisation of the whole sector cannot last forever(which will dry up first, though? Supply or demand?). For now, stock up on the drops you would most miss if a) they left your market, or b) they left your price bracket. And pray that some friend of yours with money to burn thinks that buying you the Glenfarclas Family Cask 1976(or whatever) would be a brilliant birthday present.
This vintage is one of 455 bottles from a sherry butt. For all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE and for other vintages from the Glenfarclas Family Casks click HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
I have not mentioned appearance of colour yet this week (and Glenfarclas never adds colour) but I will today: this one is like treacle, molasses dark. And the legs are unusual, they go in all angles, looking more like scars (Freddy Krueger's face) than 'church windows.' Smells of sherry and oak, but believe it or not the aromas go beyond that after nearly 50 years in a cask. I get shellfish, coffee, mint, candied anise, and cinnamon. Smells like a forest, earth, tree bark, mushrooms, decomposition, and fresh herbal/floral breezes. There is some meatiness in there too; raw beef like a butcher's. Water lets out toasty aromas (smoke?) and more caramel or toffee sweetness.Apples, sherry, toffee and some salt. Even some fresh impressions of flowers and honey. Then comes the dark side: burning wood, varnish, dark chocolate, blood, metal, tobacco, ginger, dark roast coffee, and Guiness. With water these two distinct sides of this whisky's personality bind together in an other-worldly complexity. Pointless to write down desciptors, it is SO active. Coffee or Guiness bitterness lingers through the oaky finish with the faint sweetness of chocolate chip cookies.
SUMMARY:
An old sherry monster, this is a whisky to measure time with. Every nose, every sip, every second spent with this whisky seems to slow down the rotations of the earth. Yes, it is oaky, but by no means has this whisky grown tired in the cask, it is full of flavours (aromas and tastes) and would be ideal during that alone time after the family leaves at Christmas.
Malt Mission #186
Malt Mission #187
Malt Mission #188
Malt Mission #189
Malt Mission HOME
Glenfarclas Family Casks 1965
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
60% abv
£325
$925(CAD)
Available in Canada through John Hanna & Son and unavailable in the US due to the regulation that bottle sizes must be 750ml (these are 700ml), many of these vintages are selling out as we speak. Several bars have even purchased the whole range. Amazing. Glenfarclas has always been whisky favoured by collectors and the spirit has been praised by many as the best Speyside has to offer.
Glenfarclas is a very conservative distillery. I was going to say 'traditional', but that might be unfair to other 'traditional' but progressive distilleries. At Glenfarclas everything is on a larger scale than normal: their capacity is twice that of Cragganmore or Danwhinnie, they have a mash tun that is 10m in diameter, and they have as many as 13 folks working at the distillery. This last relates to their 'conservatism' as all movement of casks is done manually on rails without the aid of lifts or robots from the future. And there is more: they have a firm policy that says "no" to wood finishes, they limit sales to independent brokers and highly discourage bottling of their whisky by ANY independent bottlers, and they stick to their technique of using sherry butts for the maturation of their whisky despite the fact that this practice can cost up to 10 times as much as using ex-bourbon barrels.
This vintage is one of 417 bottles from a first-fill sherry butt. For all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE and for other vintages from the Family Casks click HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
A dry but appetising nose with apples, toffee, black pepper, broccoli, and soy sauce. Time in the glass releases more outdoorsy notes along with cinnamon and a touch of sulphur. Water unleashes a faint whiff of smoke alongside stone fruits, carob, and more rubbery notes.
Big and spicy with cloves, raisins, toffee and licorice. Drying and increasingly leathery and woody. Water adds a creaminess to the mouthfeel and allows this stuff to scream OAK, with musty, library/old book flavours as well. The finish is gingery with faint smokiness, walnut and oak flavours that linger for minutes.
SUMMARY:
I think this is as close to smoking (pipe? fresh rolling tobacco?) as I have come with a whisky; all the flavours are there and if you breathe deep enough, you can even get a good cough from it, too. Although I know nothing about cigars, I imagine this malt is well suited to accompany one. Amazingly high abv% for such an old whisky. The result is a concentrated spirit that welcomes both time in the glass and a few drops of water. Quite a good price for such an old proprietary single cask whisky, esp from a distillery who has officially never allowed anyone to bottle their whiskies. Can still taste nuts and oak. Maybe an idea (albeit, an expensive one) for a marinade?
Malt Mission #186
Malt Mission #187
Malt Mission #188
Malt Mission #190
Malt Mission HOME
Glenfarclas Family Casks 1977
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
59% abv
£210
$565(CAD)
Ah, 1977. The Clash released their debut album, Star Wars opened in cinemas, Jimmy Carter became 39th President of the United States, the Toronto Blue Jays played their first-ever baseball game, and I had my first birthday.
Glenfarclas distillery has been in the hands of a single family for six generations. You will see their pics to the right over the next few days travelling back in time along with our drams. It effectively went John, George, George, George, John(above right), and George(below right) since June 8, 1865.
One of 582 bottles from a refill sherry butt. For all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE and for other vintages from the Family Casks click HERE.
TASTING NOTES:Soft, buttery nose. Very appetising. Muscat. Honey, bananas, golden raisins with a creamy vanilla-oaky depth.
Gentle entry that perks up (with the help of the abv%) with grape skins and fresh tobacco. Malty, with edam cheese, chocolate covered raisins, and an oaky finish that is not drying but actually quite juicy.
SUMMARY:
The nose is a delight, not overly complex, takes its time to show its inner secrets, showing good age with some scrumptious characteristics. Great range from low to high flavours, if that makes any sense... it is full in the nose. Great depth in the mouth, too, with well-bound flavours and all the charms of age without any interference from overpowering sherry (or bourbon). Another odd expression of Glenfarclas, but I suppose that is the fun of single casks.
Malt Mission #186
Malt Mission #187
Malt Mission #189
Malt Mission #190
Malt Mission HOME
Glenfarclas Family Casks 1983
Speside Single Malt Whisky
56% abv
£199
$499(CAD)
The Family Cask range from Glenfarclas is wholly unique and there is no other known collection of old and rare whiskies that covers 43 consecutive years from a single distillery. The series surpasses Macallan's Fine and Rare collection which has more and older(1926) bottlings and 25 consecutive vintages, as well as Gordon & Macphail's Glen Grant Vintages (1948-1968).
All of The Family Casks from Glenfarclas have been bottled at cask strength, a practice that most connoisseurs appreciate and one that Glenfarclas helped pioneer in the marketplace when they were the first distilling company to introduce a cask strength whisky to their core range back in 1968 with Glenfarclas 105 (tasted way back at Malt Mission #46).
This vintage is one of just 302 bottles from a refill hogshead. For all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE and for other vintages from the Family Casks click HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
Bittersweet from the start, with a fairly strong alcohol presence, too. Warming, with buttery and oaky aromas. Some baked goods and small bitter berries. Almonds, hot chocolate powder, and bread. Water really sweetens things up offering more exotic fruit, cocoa, and a slight meatiness.
Mouth-filling vanilla initially, then lemon cake, decimated coconut. Very nutty. Water reduces the explosive impact which could be a positive or a negative, depending on your mood. It becomes creamier, more spread-able, and the flavours appear to be more bound together. Long lingering flavours of oak, tea biscuits, with shorter impressions of pasta and crepes, and even sweeter baked goods with water.
SUMMARY:
Tasty, distinctive, and unusual. More complexity and flavour development than the initial nosing might suggest. Stands up to a lot of water. An odd member of the Glenfarclas family, not a George or a John... maybe a Simon? Overall, an odd Glenfarclas, and one for the curious-minded.
Malt Mission #186
Malt Mission #188
Malt Mission #189
Malt Mission #190
Malt Mission HOME
Glenfarclas Family Casks 1992
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
55.5% abv
£125
$275(CAD)
Totally missed Alcohol Awareness Week (Scotland) last week, October 21-27. The Scotch Whisky Association, Diageo, and many major liquor companies took part while Dr. Whisky remained oblivious. So today my prescription is "be a responsible drinker"; know what health experts think about your drinking habits and please don't drink to get happy. Drink for the social or hedonistic reasons, drink for the flavour experience(s), drink for cultural or religious practice. Drink in moderation. And drink water.
While there can be no doubt that alcohol causes harm in this country, not all liquor sectors can be punished equally at budget time. It cannot be ignored that in 2007 it has been 10 years without a tax hike on spirits in the UK. Scottish whisky has seen a boom in recent years and is showing healthy growth. Naturally, this growth has been largely due to a degree of stagnation in taxation and rather than firing people and closing distilleries, companies are actually hiring more people and building new sites.
We are nervous that if we can't all work to curb binge drinking and promote responsible relationships with alcohol that the tax and duty on spirits, and whisky in particular, will rise and could lead to economic hardships in certain areas of Scotland where the whisky industry plays a very large part in the health of local economies. Taxation is not the only, nor the most efficient, tool for reducing excessive consumption. I believe education can help cure a lot of these problems, and 24h drinking certainly doesn't help send either the right message or cause the right effect. More controls should be put in place in the clubs and bars of the UK. You cannot convince me that a couple of mates tasting the new Glengoyne Burnfoot at their flat in Dundee is more harmful to society than "drink all 8 shots and get a t-shirt" type offers or "2-4-1 alcopops or ciders." Respect your drink and your drink will respect you.
Right, onto our Malt Mission. The threads of many-a-whisky-forum have been buzzing with news and views surrounding the release of Glenfarclas' Family Casks (See THIS, THIS, or THIS). Glenfarclas has released a series of 43 vintages from 1952 to 1994 that they are calling Family Casks and the bottles can be bought individually or as a set. It seems they will be available in Ontario through John Hanna and Sons and in some other select markets around the world where importers have the determination to get some.
Glenfarclas has been distilled on the Recherlich Farm in Ballindalloch by six generations of the Grant family. For more distillery information and to see all Glenfarclas had on the mission click HERE. This particular vintage is from a sherry butt and is one of 669 bottles.
I was honoured to have been invited to the launch of these beauties in September and gutted that I could not attend as I was going to be out of the country. But I was delighted to receive samples from a few casks from Robert Ransom and I express my thanks for both the initial invite and the subsequent drops by post. We will be traveling back in time with Glenfarclas this whole week.
Tasted with MH (who started high school in 1992). His notes appear in quotes.
TASTING NOTES:
Bran flakes, "definitely breakfast cereal, but more like LIDL malt cruchies, to me." Some table polish, orange scented, "the stuff Grandma uses around the house". Perfumy, Flowers by Kenzo. Water brings the chemical polish out even more.
Sweet and dry, honey, a touch of salt, and mealy apples. Green veg, celery. Toasty sherry finish. "A bit nutty at the end, too." Water should be used very carefully, if at all. It brings out a slight marzipan flavour. "For me, the water hurt the nose but I like the taste better now." Honey, slice of orange, and plastic.
SUMMARY:
Matt wasn't sure if tasting first thing in the morning was the best way to evaluate cuz his morning mouth seemed to defend against the abv. In any event, we found this pretty simple and straightforward, and Matt felt the polish aromas really interfered with his experience. This expression has the perfumy elements of Glenfarclas, the polished wood tables, etc., but the standard 15yo has a fuller, rounder flavour to offer.
Malt Mission #185
Malt Mission #187
Malt Mission #188
Malt Mission #189
Malt Mission #190
Malt Mission HOME
Glenfarclas 30yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
43% abv
£105
$399(CAD)
This beauty has been around for a while and remains the oldest standard bottling in the Glenfarclas range. It was the overall trophy winner at the 1996 International Spirits Challenge, won Gold in 2005, and is one of the most respected distilleries in Scotland.
In 1912, a rival distiller is said to have written the Grants, "Of all the whiskies, malt is king, and of all the kings, Glenfarclas reigns supreme." Michael Jackson has called the distillery "top flight among Speysiders" and writes, "Experienced tasters usually place them in the top three [...] from this most distinguished district [...] They are excellent company at any time, and especially after dinner." In 2006, Whisky Magazine awarded Glenfarclas "Distiller of the Year".
One of the great assets Glenfarclas has is the fact that it remains family owned and run. "Being private doesn't affect the way we make whisky, but it does affect the way we run the business. We're not at the beck and call of money people in London, which means we can work and plan 24 years ahead, not 24 hours," says John Grant. Their endurance through 150 years of ups and downs is a testament to their ingenuity and long-term vision.
R.J.S. McDowall wrote in 1967, "The whisky is a fine full-flavoured malt, so popular with blenders, indeed, that most of it is sold before it is made." Things are certainly different today as Glenfarclas are VERY careful of where their casks end up and as far as I know, Glenfarclas can only be found in Glen Dowan and Isle of Skye blended whiskies.
It has been a great ride tasting my way through a part of the Glenfarclas range this week. Still haven't had the 21 (probably my favorite in the core range) for the mission but it was a tasty week nonetheless. All Glenfarclas tasted so far can be found HERE. Got a huge litre of the Glenfarclas 105 on my shelf (VERY well priced at duty free in Norway) that will keep me quite happy now that these drops are all gone. Big thanks to George Grant and Robert Ransom for being so friendly and sending me info, emails, and nectar.
TASTING NOTES:
Butterscotch, cherries, rum and raisin. A whisky you can smell from a metre away. Big and dense but completely welcoming. Toasty and slightly smoky with some concentrated orange syrup, too.
Big, wet kiss of sherry, spicy oak and spoonfuls of melted chocolate. It has been called 'christmas cake in a glass' but I hate christmas cake, so I would instead suggest brandy and/or cognac, molasses, chocolate brownies, almond extract, and a whole load of sumptuous oak. After such a big, bold flavour, the finish seems short, but at a piano volume chocolate, red grapes, and oak can be heard singing for minutes.
SUMMARY:
Extremely sexy, indulgent, and well balanced. The sherry is huge, but does not dominate or kill the malt. The sherry is perhaps the key of the piece, but the melody is surely played by other instruments. And for the price (not including that in Totalitario)!? Find me another 30yo proprietary bottling from a prestigious distillery for around £100! Amazing.
It is crazy to think of thanking your Grandfather for a whisky, but in this case, the Grant's have to appreciate the work of their fathers and fathers' fathers. Kind of makes me feel that people shouldn't be allowed to drink whisky older than themselves because they simply won't have the perspective to appreciate it. Does a 21 year old really understand what 30 years feels like? I do still find it such a romantic feature of scotch malt whisky that it can condense time in a glass, bringing decades, and in the Grants' case, generations of family together. Gotta respect that.
Malt Mission #141
Malt Mission #142
Malt Mission #143
Malt Mission #144
Malt Mission HOME
Glenfarclas 15 yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
46% abv
£33
£80(USD)
Sorry for delay in posting again today. It is pissing rain, my internet has been down, and I have a PhD deadline that makes a dram in the morning make less sense than usual... not that I would miss it for the world. So I took some notes this morning and brought them with me to the British Library where I am writing this post. It is as close as I've come to having a whisky in the the library, something I mentioned back at Malt Mission 55.
Glenfarclas has some notable distillery features that I think I have mentioned before but whatever. All my books are at home... although I am sure they have a few here... NO. No more time-wasting, Simmons!
The mash tun is the largest in the industry and the stills are the biggest in Speyside, direct-fired by gas. They are proudly independent company and have gone to great lengths in the past to keep their whisky, but mainly their name, off the independent bottling companies' product lists. And if you ever see an independent bottling of this stuff, please do two things:
1) buy one (or two?)
and
2) Don't tell anyone with the surname 'Grant'.
It is worth noting that between the Gelnfarclas 10, the 12, and the 15, we have gone up in abv in 3% increments.
All Glenfarclas enjoyed on the mission can be found HERE.
TASTING NOTES:
Fistfuls of juicy sherry, yeasty malt, and some smoke. Hehe... it's not just the box that looks like it belongs (as wallpaper) in gentleman's club, this stuff SMELLS like a gentleman's club: cologne, tobacco, newpapers, polished wood tables, leather... Hearty and burly.
Lively and assertive in the mouth, wonderfully integrated flavours. Perfumy sherry, gets buttery with spice, oak and malt. A slightly green element (celery? balsam resin? fennel?) in the middle. Some amaretto in the long, oaky finish.
SUMMARY:
Full-on and ballsy. A malt that calls attention to a conundrum of sorts that I have encountered on occasion: is it simple or complex? Now I am not using either term as evaluative or judicial, just as descriptors. The flavours are so primal or primary, painted on in confident brushstrokes, that it could be considered simple. At the same time, to perhaps a more sophisticated nose and palate than mine, the subtlety beneath the applications of these brushstrokes or colours on the canvas of my mouth could reveal great complexity. I dunno. Doesn't really matter much. This is award-winning, critically-acclaimed whisky that, and here is something I do feel qualified to evaluate, is a great bang-for-buck malt.
Malt Mission #141
Malt Mission #142
Malt Mission #143
Malt Mission #145
Malt Mission HOME
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.
Malt Mission #141
Malt Mission #142
Malt Mission #144
Malt Mission #145
Malt Mission HOME
Glenfarclas 10yo
Speyside Single Malt Whisky
40% abv
£24
$40(USD)
The story of Glenfarclas is the story of a series of Johns and Georges. The distillery is located on Rechlerich farm at Ballindalloch and has been owned by the cattle farming Grant family since 1865. To this day it has remained in private family ownership (one of only a few distilleries) and produces some of the best value malt whisky out there.
Why?
With a few exceptions, all scotch whiskies are matured in casks or barrels that used to hold something else, commonly ex-bourbon or ex-sherry casks. Yeah, if you are reading this than you probably already know this, but bear with me for the benefit of new whisky nerds.
Glenfarclas uses a mix of sherry casks and 'plain casks'. They use no first fill bourbon barrels. Plain casks are bourbon casks that have already been used once for (Scottish) whisky OR sherry casks that have already been used four times to mature whisky. They are 'plain' because they can no longer be said to impart the flavours of their previous occupants and are thus 'plain', yielding just the flavours of oak. Sherry casks are 10 times more expensive than bourbon casks and this is where to good value of 'Farclas comes in.
It is not that sherry casks are 'better' than bourbon ones, it is just a supply and demand issue that dictates the price. There is a shortage of sherry casks available to the Scottish whisky industry and an abundance of bourbon casks as in America oak barrels can be used only once to mature whiskey thanks to the logging lobby in years gone by. They are also bigger and generally do not need to be re-coopered into different sizes.
Glenfarclas has a wide range of standard releases and have recently introduced the Family Cask line which are a series of vintages from 1952 to 1994. In the words of George Grant, "We hopefully have a whisky to suit everybody's palate, and obviously, also a whisky to suit everybody's wallet." Good attitude. This week we are lucky enough to try a few bottlings from their core range. We have already tried Glenfarclas 105 and the Glenfarclas 25yo which I chose as one of the top 3 drams tasted in the first 100 Malt Missions.
TASTING NOTES:
Light but rich and alluring. Red plums, treacle, raw ginger. Sherry, apples, malty sweetness and spices.
Soft and creamy. Wood. Tobacco, malt, and a touch of smoke. Vanilla and other spices taper the short-ish finish.
SUMMARY:
I am certain than some Glenfarclas we will have later in the week will be full-on dessert drams, well this is a real appetiser. Stimulating, light but rich. Great natural colour. In the mouth one could guess this was a much older whisky. Good package of flavour with the dry oakiness verging on flatness but saved by great balance against sherry and barley sweetness. Great budget malt, especially for a sherry fan.
Malt Mission #141
Malt Mission #143
Malt Mission #144
Malt Mission #145
Malt Mission HOME
Glenfarclas 25yo
Single Malt Whisky
43% abv
£80
$140(USD)
You have to love Glenfarclas: independence, family, and butt-loads of sherry casks. There are no other distillers that have proprietary bottlings of this age and quality for such a reasonable price. Yes, Gordon&Macphail have delicious bottlings of 25 year olds that are great value(Longmorn, Balmenach 1974 CC) and their Benromach 25, but Talisker or Highland Park are the nearest and even they are £20 and £40 jumps, respectively.
More history and info can be found at Malt Mission #46 when I tasted Glenfarclas 105.
TASTING NOTES:
Deep and rich sherry smells, with a soft sweetness that is not punchy but warming and nestles in the nose. Slightly musty, too, well suited for library drinking (something I have yet to try at the British...)
Slightly hot for the abv%, and incredibly rich. Quick movement from sweet to dry sherry, toasted oak, and a touch of smoke. Sweet pipe tobacco and coffee beans. Cocoa powder. The finish ends quickly making it impossible for me to keep myself from reaching for another serving.
SUMMARY:
As immediately pleasing as this whisky is, it only gets better with time in the glass. And on the palate, the flavours are almost shy to reveal themselves, but again, with time the complexity and depth of flavour makes itself apparent. All-night conversation whisky.
Malt Mission #51
Malt Mission #52
Malt Mission #53
Malt Mission #54
Malt Mission HOME
![Glenfarclas]()
Glenfarclas 105Speyside Single Malt Whisky
60% abv
£33
$80(USD)
Welcome to week TEN of this malt mission. I cannot believe that what started as a New Years challenge to review a few whiskies for friends has gone on this long and been read by so many people. There have been just under 2000 unique visitors to the site over the past 4 weeks and good bunch of regular readers. Thanks for reading, commenting, contributing, etc., and I hope to keep it up for weeks to come.
This week will be a single cask, cask-strength themed week. Rather than starting the week with a blend, I will start with Glenfarclas 105 to really get things going.
Glenfarclas has been a family run distillery since 1865, but the distillery was actually built in 1836. The Grant family became tenants of the adjoining farm and bought the distillery as a rental property(!). John Smith, th efirst tenant of the distillery left four years later to found Cragganmore distillery and the Grant family took over the running of the distillery as they still do today. They are proudly independent and fiercely protective of their name, therefore highly limiting the non-proprietary single cask bottlings on the market and becoming legally pushy when a bottler so much as implies the cask's origin. The end result is that there are very few independent bottlings of Glenfarclas.
Neat things about the distillery are that Glenfarclas has the largest stills in Speyside, their insistence on the use of sherry casks and new oak before ex-bourbon, their huge warehouse space (room for 85, 000 casks, though currently holds about 60,000), the largest mash tun in the industry, and their stills are direct fired (by gas).
Glenfarclas is the pioneer of cask strength whiskies and released Glenfarclas 105 way back in 1968. See the 40th anniversary special release tasted at Malt Mission #331.
TASTING NOTES:
Sweet sherry, raisins, baked goods. White port, dessert wines, cocoa, honey and bran flakes.
(Sigh of satisfaction) Velvety in the mouth, texture like warm honey, or sucking chocolate milk syrup right out of the bottle. Strong spirit taste and although I find it balanced against rich flavours, I recognise that this stuff is not for everyone. Some tobacco and soft, rotting grapes. There is a curry element in the spices, meaty, with ginger and chilli. Chocolate. Maybe it is Mexican mole. Finish is slow, but the flavours get more and more unappealing to me. Develops from wood to the taste of cutlery to blood to a late aftertaste of fish skin. Encourages me to grab the glass, and it's back to perfect with each additional sip.
SUMMARY:
Scary how drinkable I find this in spite of its strength. Great value. Great satisfying strong whisky from a distillery that never disappoints. Some would prefer Aberlour Abunadh (which we will be having at a tasting we're hosting in Toronto at the end of the month) for the same price, but now that George Grant claims the 105 is now at least 10 years old, I cannot knock this monster.
Malt Mission #45
Malt Mission #47
Malt Mission #48
Malt Mission #49
Malt Mission #50
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