Little duets, indie Glenfarclas vs official


September 12, 2018

Little duets, indie Glenfarclas vs. official

There isn’t much indie Glenfarclas around – well there’s virtually none under that name, but indeed there are hundreds of Ballindallochian Speysiders – so when there’s a new one, we celebrate and rejoice. But honour to whom honour is due, the official first…

Glenfarclas 18 yo (43%, OB, +/-2017)

Glenfarclas 18 yo (43%, OB, +/-2017)
I’m not sure I ever saw a 18 yo Glenfarclas! There was the 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 21, 25, 30, 40 etc, but a 18? That’s new to me… Oh wait, I’ve found the answer, it’s for travel retail! Gee-ee-ee… Colour: gold. Nose: it’s relatively soft at first nosing, perhaps even a tad Havana-Club-y, if I may, with some hay, baked apples, vanilla, and the softest maltiness ever. Quite. A little beeswax as well, but I’d rather call this baby ‘a whispering malt’. There are much bigger Glenfarclasses, we all know that. Mouth: indeed it’s rather gentle, it’s almost a Glenfarclas in the style of Glenlivet, if you see what I mean. Apple pie, teas, dried pears, a small fig, a touch of honey… Exactly what would please some random traveller, I imagine. Finish: a little short, cake-y. Comments: more than good, but I think it’s missing a bit of Glenfarclas’ usual, say broadness and body. But of course, it remains extremely fair and I’m sure no father-in-law was ever disappointed.
SGP:451 - 81 points.

Glenfarclas 16 yo 2001/2018 (54.1%, Cadenhead, hogshead, 252 bottles)

Glenfarclas 16 yo 2001/2018 (54.1%, Cadenhead, hogshead, 252 bottles)
I don’t know why Cadenhead stopped naming their Glenfarclasses ‘Glenfarclas-Glenlivet’, as they were doing at least until the mid-1990s. But is that really important? Of course it isn’t… Colour: straw/white wine. Nose: oh, an ex-rum hogshead? I’m getting a very remote funkiness, but that may be me. Other than that, it’s a rather naked, waxy, thick distillate, rather on many oils. Hazelnut, grape pips, sunflower, even linseed… With water: amazing, it got medicinal! Drop that ex-rum idea, replace with ex-Laphroaig! Mouth (neat): indeed, it is a little oily, but it’s also bright and very herbal. Branches and herbs, leaves, woodruff, wormwood, aniseed (touches), fresh walnuts… I do enjoy this style a lot, it rather hints at the northern Highlands. With water: okay, it’s probably not only about Glenfarclas, it may well also be about the cask’s previous content. Islay? Clynelish? Pulteney? No, wait, Springbank or Longrow? Would that be surprising, given the company’s parentage? (talking about Cadenhead, not about Glenfarclas, naturally). Finish: long, on more of all that. Comments: perhaps a bastard, but what a bastard! Unless it’s a very special batch from Glenfarclas’, as rumour has it that they did do peat in the not so distant past. Oh, forgot to say, I love it.
SGP:453 - 89 points.

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