
June 30, 2016

A little bag of Glenfarclas

There are many, we'll have a few totally at random today, for more fun. No verticale, no horizontale, no ascending strength, no nothing, just pure inspiration, with the help of WF's mousers. Plain and pure anarchy - so perhaps a little French indeed.

Glenfarclas 1991/2014 'Family Casks' (53.8%, OB, for The Whisky Shop Dufftown, sherry, cask #5691)

Colour: office coffee. Nose: classic chocolaty and prune-y sherried Glenfarclas, with quite a lot of cloves and cinnamon from the oak in the background. Then pure roasted cocoa and pencil shavings, infused in walnut wine. Classic indeed, with an oak that was pretty active. With water: blind, you could think this is single-estate armagnac. Terrific dry earthy chocolate and even more prunes than before. Mouth (neat): absolutely excellent, big old-style sherry monster, full of chocolate and mint (thin mints), more prunes, crème de cassis, big black raisins, Christmas cake, plus once again these spices from the oak, around cloves and caraway. And coffee, and chocolate. With water: gets fresher, which is always great. Seville oranges, crystallised ginger, perhaps a little amaretto, some cinnamon and nutmeg from the oak... Truly excellent. Finish: long, rich, coating... Almost everlasting, in fact. Cinnamon and bitter oranges. Comments: this starts well. An old style that not many distilleries keep making, quite sadly. Too costly? No, of course not, I'm not looking at The Macallan. SGP:651 - 90 points.

Glenfarclas 2001/2014 ‘Family Casks’ (60.2%, OB for TSMC, cask #3922, 574 bottles)

This one was for Taiwan, and scored high silver at the Malt Maniacs Awards that year. Colour: light coffee. Right, office coffee. Nose: this one's a little rounder, more fudge-y, with more cappuccino, Bailey's (I know, I know), butterscotch, chocolate cake (brownies), coffee... And once again I'm finding quite some pencil shavings. Less brandy-like, less armagnacqy. With water: wee touches of gunpowder and stewed Jerusalem artichokes. Hay, earth... Mouth (neat): it's one of these heavily sherried whiskies that feel a little bourbony because of the very active oak. Ginger, pepper, orange zests, even vanilla cake... But above all that, there are bags of raisins. With water: coffee-schnapps! Hoppla! Finish: quite long, with some Kahlua and some a feeling of Spanish brandy. From Jerez, no need to say. Spicier aftertaste. Comments: I thought the 1991 was a little more complex and a little more 'classic', but this 2001 is excellent too. SGP:561 - 86 points.

Glenfarclas 12 yo (43%, OB, +/-2014)

Ah, this should be much lighter, let's be careful. I haven't formally tasted the popular 12 since almost ten years. Colour: gold. Nose: I find it very fresh and fragrant, full of oranges, but very, very lightly sherried. Some sweet bread, a little fennel, nosing Cointreau or other orange liqueurs... In truth I had forgotten that the 12 was not a sherry monster at all (unlike say genuine Macallans, or the newish Glendronachs). Mouth: sweet, round, extremely orangey, with a speculoos + ginger + white pepper combo in the background. I'm even finding touches of pineapples. Also liquorice allsorts, toasted bread... Finish: medium, with oranges, malt, and more liquorice allsorts. Bitter oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: quite rich and easy at the same time. Does the job, for sure. SGP:541 - 82 points.

Glenfarclas 1986/2007 'Family Cask' (56.5%, OB, cask #3434, 521 bottles)

Oh, one of the early Family Casks! Colour: full gold. Nose: ah, cakes, croissants, Danish pastries, butterscotch, orange blossom, shortbread, baklavas, café latte... With water: superb fresh maltiness. Brioche topped with honey, bread leaven, fresh bretzels... This, I really enjoy. Mouth (neat): excellent. Peppery oranges, heather honey, treacle, more orange blossom water, maple syrup, tangerines... I'm finding this extremely good, fresh, yet rich... And I love this feeling of grassy raisins - which, in theory, doesn't exist, I agree. With water: it's funny and great that it would get this citrusy, fresh, 'nervous'... Finish: medium long, even more honeyed, orangey, fresh... Comments: it hasn't got the high impact and wow factor of the distillery's classic sherry monsters, but I do find it excellent. A fresher variation. SGP:641 - 88 points.

Please kittens, find some indies!...

Glenfarclas 17 yo (52.2%, Jack Wiebers, 17 Hippies, cask #9184, 90 bottles)

Glenfarclas 17 yo (52.2%, Jack Wiebers, 17 Hippies, cask #9184, 90 bottles, +/-2015)

It's really unusual that some independent bottlers would disclose the name of this make... While we all know undisclosed indie GF simply abound. Colour: white wine (rather Chardonnay ;-)) Nose: do not tell me this is not Balvenie! It is totally Balvenie-ish, with acacia honey, apricots, ripe mirabelles, quince, vanilla... Very mysterious, to say the least. With water: perfect. Warm croissants around 6am, more mirabelles, even more mirabelles, and some quince jelly. Mouth (neat): no, serious, Balvenie. Peaches coated with honey sauce, custard aplenty, more ripe mirabelle (including mirabelle cake, mirabelle jam, mirabelle tarte, mirabelle sweets like they make in Lorraine, mirabelle eau-de-vie... In short anything mirabelle!)... May we have a chat with the fellow who did stencil this cask? With water: swims extremely well. Becomes citrusy, in the most splendid manner. Finish: medium, fresh, perfect, ultra-balanced. Mirabelles and apricots. Comments: early 197Os Balvenie. Brilliant whisky. Yeah I know you've got papers, invoices, and certificates, and even the barrel head, but this just cannot not be Balvenie. Not very Glenfarclas to say the least. SGP:641 - 90 points.

UPDATE: oh my, I did not properly read the label, it was actually a Glentauchers! I decided to leave it like that rather than scrap this note, for more ‘truthness’ as French politician Segolène R. would say. But indeed, my bad, it was Glentauchers 17 yo (52.2%, Jack Wiebers, 17 Hippies, cask #9184, 90 bottles, +/-2015).

Perhaps a last one for the digital road... And let's make it prestigious!

Glenfarclas 26 yo 1970/1997 (56.7%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #1.77)

Yes, #1 at the SMWS is Glenfarclas, everybody should know that (calm down, S.) Colour: deep amber. Nose: nosing a new box of Cuban cigars (say a cabinet of 8-9-8), some old high-class Sauternes, some rosewater, perhaps some late-harvest gewurz, the most wonderful sultanas, and - always perhaps - some genuine Tokaji Eszencia. No rubbish for tourists! With water: totally amazing honeyed and 'quince-y' notes. Please call the anti-maltoporn brigade - long time no see! Mouth (neat): sweet Karl Marx! (what?) Exceptional wood, and all dried fruits of the Creation. Litchis, pears, bananas, dates, apricots, raisins, figs... It is amazing whisky. Also love the toasted brioche in it. With water: utterly splendid, a work of art. I got very beehive-y, with pollen beeswax, honey, royal jelly... no, not royal jelly. Finish: long, very raisiny, perhaps just a tad too tannic towards the aftertaste. Loses one fat point, there! Comments: thank you Mister Angus, #1 indeed. I was going to go for 94, but it's going to be only... SGP:652 - 93 points.

Check the index of all Glenfarclas I've tasted so far