Glenfarclas 30 Years Old (43%, OB, 2016)

• Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Glenfarclas Distillery
• Bottling: J & G Grant, OB
• ABV: 43%
• Cost: £229.55

What they say:

Colour:

Full rich dark gold.

Nose:

Full complex aromas with fruit and full sherried malty tones.

Flavour:

With Sherry, cognac, brandy, fruit, nuts, marzipan (and even icing), this is a wonderfully indulgent Christmas cake, in a glass!

Finish:

A whisky you never want to end and it very nearly doesn’t. The finish is exquisite with a real taste of burnt chocolate at the back of your mouth.

Comment:

This was distilled in my grandfather’s time, so we have to thank him for the wonderful depth of the 30 Years Old. It is the casks he purchased that have made this so richly indulgent. This truly amazing whisky was named the Best Commercially Available Single Malt in Australia in 2003, and won Gold at the International Spirits Challenge in 2005. At the 2007 Malmo Whisky Fair Glenfarclas 30 Years Old won double Gold, and was named ‘Best Overall Whisky at the Fair’.

What I say:

Our 4th dram of the evening at Duck’s Inn and 2nd of the Glenfarclas vertical was the 30 year old expression.

Colour:

Dark umbrous gold (12/20) slow medium-sized droplet tears and fine legs

Nose:

Slightly less woody than the 25 year old, a touch of smoke and a richer heather honey, leather, chocolate, dried fruit and walnut

Taste:

This had the wonderful indulgence of Christmas written all over it with brandy laden dried fruit, candied peel, Christmas cake with marzipan and icing, sherry trifle, Terry’s chocolate orange, latte coffee, muscovado sugar, and shelled mixed nuts all incredibly smooth on the palate.

Finish:

Medium-long drying, oak wood, dried fruit, nut and chocolate orange

Overall:

As a sherry-fan (and even sherry-bomb fan) I have to admit this comes pretty close to perfection. Wickedly indulgent in flavours and beautifully presented I find it difficult to find flaw in this expression. Easy to see how this won at the International Spirits Challenge.

Score: 93/100

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