Glenfarclas 10 Year

Review by: TOModera

I’ve yet to mention my favourite aspect of some whisky pubs in Edinburgh; Flat out, no joke, they have “Whisky of the Month/Week/Day/Moment” all over the place. Actual, hand written, chalk signs that say “Hey, buy this one, it’s on sale/tasty”.

In Canada that never happens! What the heck? Why hasn’t this spread around? Come on North America, this could be awesome! Go to your window right now and demand it!

Anyway, I walked into the Black Cat, a nice hole in the wall with about 200 different whiskies, and they had such a deal: Whisky of the Month (along with other whiskies from other regions for the month).

This month? It’s Glenfarclas 10, and for 2.50 quid a shot, I couldn’t pass it up. I’ve heard a lot about the sherried malts, and never had a chance to try them. Let’s see if the bargain was worth it!

Distillery: Glenfarclas Distillery.

Bottler: Distillery Bottling.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 40%.

Age: 10 years.

Cask type: Sherry Cask.

Price: $59.95 (CAD)

Color: Brass & Old Blood

Nose: Strawberry, cherry, sour, perfume

Very simple nose. I spent quite awhile trying to figure this out, yet at the end I just had these four notes. Not that it’s a bad thing, yet I expected at least one non-Sherried flavour to come out.

Taste: Strawberry juice, nectarine, wheat germ, cream, blackberry, orange

For a bargain, and I do love my bargains, this has a nice mixture of flavours to it. Almost like a weak smoothie from a health store.

Finish: Smoke, tannic, oak, dry, chili powder, pear

That finish has some surprise elements to remind you that it’s still a whisky, and not just an overproof sherry. Big, big dry notes, which I’m not a fan of too much in fruity drinks.

See, my brain says “Hey, this is liquid, and fruity, so therefore it’s wet”. And then some dryness shows up, and my tongue gets in a fight with my brain, and I end up at two Xmas’ each year where I get more and more gifts from each of them and some snide remarks. It’s just awkward.

Conclusion: For the simplicity of the dram and the dryness in the finish, I still like this better than some other entry level malts from other distilleries. It has the basics, the taste is okay, and I may end up with two Xboxes… I mean, it’s tasty.

Final Score: 76.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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