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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
