Review by: Raygun

A special Family Casks release for Royal Mile Whiskies. These older Family Casks are particularly sought after, with a price to match. I’m not very fond of the Glenfarclas core range, but some of the special releases have made an excellent impression. Have high hopes for this, the oldest Glenfarclas I’ve tried. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Glenfarclas   

Bottler: Glenfarclas   

Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch

ABV: 49.2%. Cask strength.   

Age: 28 years. Distilled in 1995 and bottled on June 27, 2023. 

Cask type: Sherry cask #2295, 288 bottles. 

Color: 1.4 tawny. Natural color and non-chillfiltered.

Price: £450

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Nose: Woody and austere. Big streak of spicy fruitcake, with dried apricots, Jaffa cakes, and old leather. One of those that conjures up a dark wood-paneled room. A touch of cedar.              

Palate: Tastes like a refill cask. Deep and woody, but not overwhelmed with sherry. Jaffa cakes, fruitcake, Fig Newtons. The richness is cut with some black tea. Ginger and cloves. Serious layers to it.   

Finish: Long. Chocolate, orange, apricots, and leather. Strong oak, but doesn’t turn bitter. Mild but distinct spice: ginger, clove, cinnamon, and cardamom. Excels here. 

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Conclusion: This delivers. A great old cask. Drier than one might expect. A lot of wood influence with some interesting spices. A lot of subtleties that repay close examination. Not what I’d describe as a sherry bomb, but very tasty in its own way. The finish is particularly excellent.  

Buy a bottle? Terrifice stuff, but even at £375 ex-VAT, it’s out of my range. 

Score: 88

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)