Glenfarclas 25 Years Old (43%, OB, 2016)

• Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Glenfarclas Distillery
• Bottling: Official – J & G Grant
• ABV: 43%
• Cost: £119.76

What they say:

Colour:

Amber with dark gold highlights.

Nose:

Complex, yet refined, delicately peated, with fresh tempting aromas of marmalade, honey, freshly ground coffee, sherry and nuts. Some oaky tannins.

Flavour:

Full-bodied and robust, the sherry and the oak fight for your attention yet neither is overpowering. A powerful nutty smokiness.

Finish:

Intense, long lasting, dry smoky and malty. A beautiful dark Belgium chocolate taste at the back of your mouth to complete the flavour of the 25 Years Old.

Comment:

A great after-dinner whisky so rich and full that it is a dessert in itself, with a finish that goes on forever.

What I say:

Our third dram of our whisky tasting session at Duck’s Inn started this Glenfarclas vertical of their 25, 30 and 40 year old expression – so nice to be able to compare and contrast these rare aged expressions side-by-side.

Colour:

Red gold/copper (9/20) medium-fine droplet and legs

Nose:

Oak wood to the fore, fruity oranges and red fruits with dried fruit date and prune, milk chocolate, malty cereal barley, sweet golden syrup and woodland honey, leather and more creamy nuttiness, hazelnut puree/nutella

Taste:

True to the nose, milk chocolate, hazelnut, orange and ginger marmalade, tannic leather, coffee grounds and old oak wood, toffee, malt, date, fig, creme brulee, fruitcake batter and gingerbread.

Finish:

Medium-long, nutty oak wood and creamy milk chocolate with orange and ginger

Overall:

Starting with the 25 year old I noticed a pronounced aged/oaky wood character over say the 15 or 17 year old versions (though perhaps not the 21 – I may need to revisit). A beautiful creamy milk chocolate was the most interesting characteristic I found in this whisky though it rewards spending some time with it and opens out subtly. There was a little bitterness and tannin in places giving it a roughness for its age and keeping things interesting.

Score: 90/100

Don’t take my word for it:

TOModera’s Whisky Reviews Glenfarclas 25

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