“A Speyside Distillery” (Glenfarclas) 19 Year (2003) Cadenhead’s Warehouse Tasting

Review by: The Muskox

Here’s one that’s been kicking around my sample cabinet for a while – a Cadenhead’s “secret Speyside” bottling from a distillery that rhymes with “Mo Harkless”.

Distillery: Glenfarclas.

Bottler: Cadenhead’s.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 54.7%. Cask strength.

Age: 19 years. Distilled in 2003. Bottled in 2023.

Cask type: Finished for 3 years in a Cognac butt.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: 0.8, Deep gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

Nose: Deeply sweet and a little musty. Honey dates, nougat, white-chocolate-covered toffee, pistachio ice cream in a waffle cone. Fragrant notes of rose petals, banana peel, and lime candies. Sweet-and-sour plum sauce. Old furniture, earthen warehouses, and mineral salts.

Palate: Medium-thick texture. Arrives sweet-tart with green apple and peach, as well as burnt sugar, musky cantaloupe, and salt. Very cognac-y on the development – sweet and smoky charred oak, bourbon vanilla, and nutmeg. Some green tea, cherry blossom, and freshly-dug-up flowers. Rich earthiness here, leather and a hint of coal.

Finish: Medium long. Robust oak turning sweet, with lots of cognac influence. Dulce du leche, vanilla, grape must, rainbow sherbet, and heavy cream. Perfumes and honeycomb. Fades to pure caramel.

Possible SMWS bottling name: “Grandma’s hidden drinking room”

Conclusion: It’s been a while since I’ve had a cognac-cask whisky that’s been this good. There’s a lovely depth to the caramel notes here, balanced with interesting fragrance, earth, and even some saltiness. The oak is intense, and does get just a little bitter on the finish, but that’s quickly overwhelmed by a sumptuous caramel flavour. A fantastic cask, and one of the best Glenfarclases I’ve tried so far.

Final Score: 90.

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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