Glenfarclas 14 Year SMWS 1.213 “Seduces and invites fantasies”
Whisky : Glenfarclas 14 Year SMWS 1.213 “Seduces and invites fantasies”
Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside
ABV : 58.6%
Cask : 2nd Fill Ex-PX Hogshead
Age : 14 Years (Distilled 10 May 2004)
Nose : Frozen chocolate bananas, red apples, honey, and a thick ribbon of molasses. Spices come through as mulled cider, fresh ginger, and cinnamon apple sauce while a sweet milk chocolate develops in the background.
Palate : Medium bodied with a waxy mouthfeel. Chocolate covered bananas, red apple slices, and cinnamon candy match the nose very closely. Edible lotions, sensual oils, and cream cheese brownies promise a fun evening with notes of sweet oily-cream.
Finish : Medium length dry cinnamon apple sauce.
Score : 5
Mental Image : Marcy Playground “Sex & Candy”
Something Better : Kilkerran 8 Year Cask Strength 2019 (similar chocolate, richer fruits/leather)
Something Similar : Glen Grant 27Y SMWS 9.104 (similar red apple/chocolate, more spice)
Something Worse : Braeval 8 SMWS 113.22 (similar cider/cinnamon spice, more licorice)
Notes : I will just start by admitting that if you are a fan of Glenfarclas you will almost certainly like this a good deal more than I. Though there is the chance you might find the malt a bit heavier than a typical Glenfarclas bottle and the sherry a bit lighter. Those variations are the reason this gets a + from me, this had a lot thicker mouthfeel than most of the other Glenfarclas I have had and the use of a second fill hogshead meant that the sherry did not overwhelm the malt as much as it does on some distillery bottles.
Overall this was a tasty combination of fruit and spice with hints of rich chocolate. It was not the most complex or compelling dram, but it did what it does well enough that I cannot complain. The bottle benefited a lot from a few drops of water to open it up and bring out more of the sweet cinnamon spice and fruit. A fine bottle with a sensual flavor palate, but not something I really gravitate toward.
