Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks
For my next reviews I figured I should get off of Islay, at least for a moment. So here’s some ‘Farclai. Tasted on 8/23/2020, neat in a Glencairn.
This is a standard bottle of Glenfarclas 25, matured in sherry casks and bottled circa 2016 at 43%. No info on color or filtering, but we can assume it’s at least chill filtered from the ABV alone. Thanks to WasheeWashee for the sample.
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Speyside
ABV: 43.0%
Age: 25 years old.
Cask type: Sherry Cask
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered.
Nose: peaches, orange, sherry, tea, honey, mint, dried fruit, some subtle spiciness.
Taste: oranges, cream, a bit of black pepper, medium mouthfeel, some raisins and other dark, dried fruits. Feels really thin coming back to it after the 1986, and I suspect I would mark this aspect of it higher in isolation.
Finish: peach again, slightly dry, a touch of pepper, chocolate, raisins, nice length, a bit of fruitcake in there, maybe some leather.
This is a fine dram, an easy drinker full of bright fruits, some nice spiciness, and some subtle richer, darker notes with a lovely, long finish. It’s not especially well balanced; coming back to it over and over my first impression is peaches, then I dig for the rest. What would this be like at a higher ABV?
Final Score: 87.
Glenfarclas 29 Year (1986) Refill Sherry Butts Nos. 3454 & 3457
Glenfarclas 1986 Refill Sherry Butts, distilled 1986/09/26 and bottled 2016/05/19 making it just shy of 30 years. So I suppose we should call it 29. Just two casks, #3454 & #3457 for a total of 1,094 bottles.
I first tasted this at The Whisky Exchange show in London in fall 2016. It was one of their “Dream Drams”, meaning you had to pay extra to taste it. IIRC, it cost me an extra 10gbp to taste. I went around to the shop the next day and bought a bottle, so I guess I liked it.
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Speyside
ABV: 53.8%, cask strength
Age: 29 years old. Distilled on 09/26/1986. Bottled on 05/19/2016.
Cask type: Refill Sherry Butts
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. One of 1,094 bottles.
Nose: raisins, cherry, orange peel, figs, sherry, fruit cake, leather, walnut, a bit of black pepper, a hint of toffee. It’s rich, with a lot going on; feels like you can get something else each time you pick it up. I kinda don’t want to add any water after spending some time with it, but here it goes… with water: more on the fruit, caramel, is that some wax? Yes, and that lovely moist fruitcake.
Taste: creamy, even syrupy, cherry, walnuts, dry, dark fruits, some pepper, linseed oil, quite dry. With water: still creamy, dark fruits, minimal pepper now, a bit of oil, not as dry but still there, oranges.
Finish: tannic, black pepper, dried fruit, chocolate covered raisins, black tea, herbs, a bit of old leather. Long finish with mostly that dark, fruity flavor remaining at the end. With water: still drying, less pepper, more on the fruit, chocolate, herbal on the end with the fruits lingering. No bitterness.
This is a beautiful dram. Rich and dark, with great complexity centered around dark fruits and leather. Water brings the heat down a notch and it ends up incredibly well balanced. The nose is wonderful, and I still feel like I’m finding new scents again. Delicious.
The vast majority of my collection is smoky, but when I have really good friends over who don’t dig on smoke but want something truly excellent, I give them this.
Final Score: 93.
Comparison
Order: 1986 > 25yr
Pretty clear choice here. The 25yr is very good, and obviously more attainable than the limited 1986 bottling. The 1986 is richer, darker, more complex, and has a significantly better mouthfeel and finish. I’ll be really sad when this is gone.
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.
Malt Runners 