Can’t believe its been just about a month since my last review. Time really has a way of getting away from us, doesn’t it? Which is why it’s always nice to just sit back and enjoy a dram or two and just unplug yourself from the craziness that is our daily lives. So today’s dram will be from the family owned Glenfarclas Distillery. In this day and age of multinationals and giant corporate buyouts it’s nice to see a family owned business competing with the big boys. Glenfarclas is owned by the Grant family and is known for it’s sherried matured whisky. While these entry level Glenfarclas’ are similarly priced with other comparable malts it’s when you get into Glenfarclas’ special bottlings that you see true value. While other brands are focused on the investors or speculators Glenfarclas seems to price their special bottlings for the connoisseurs and avid enthusiast and for that I thank the Grant family. There is an even younger 10 year old bottling but for today I’ll be looking at the 12 year old. It’s matured in a traditional dunnage warehouse as opposed to the more common racked warehouse and bottled with its natural color. Let’s have a go.
Type: Single Malt Region: Speyside
ABV: 43% Color: Amber +2 Body: med
Nose: Caramelized plantains, sugar cane, and moist chocolate cake. Very rum like notes at first. The sherry maturation becomes apparent now with figs, sultanas, grape jelly and apricot. I’m also getting some wet grassiness, ginger, licorice, touches of mint, coffee roast and a nice oak aromas. Also an earthy oolong tea note as well. Not the most complex but still a decent bouquet.
Palate: Sweet chocolate candy (think milk duds), orange juice, plantains and raisins. Nice entry. Then the sherry, herbal tea, rum cake (again with the rum?), grape jelly and dried figs. I’m getting some café cubano, cherry lozenges, orange peel and honey as it heads towards the finish
Finish: Sherry and cappuccino along with a hints of the herbal tea and orange rind. It’s a rather long finish.
Overall: A very solid sherried malt. A bit unexpected with the rum-like notes and the herbal tea I was picking up but it all worked together well. Nothing stellar but it definitely won’t disappoint, especially if go into it knowing this is intended as an entry level (along with the 10year old) into the Glenfarclas line. And to the Grant family I say ‘Keep up the good work’.
The Whisky Journal 