Whisky: Glenfarclas 10 Year (2008) SMWS 1.218 “Dessert triptych hessian meringue”

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 63.7%

Cask: Refill Oloroso Butt

Age: 10 Years (Distilled 28 Nov. 2008)

Nose: Rich dried fruits, fudge, chocolate, hints of cinnamon and nutmeg, coffee, cream, hazelnut.

Palate: Medium to full-bodied with cherry, li hing mui, chocolate, anise, nuts, coffee, cinnamon, leather at the end.

Finish: Medium-length with leather, dried fruits, and hints of dark chocolate.

Score: 6-7

Mental Image: Opening the Coffee Shop Door

Narrative & Notes:  Welcome to the coffee shop; the aroma promised buttery pastries stuffed with dried fruits, fudge, and chocolate-filled croissants. Occasionally warming and festive hints of cinnamon and nutmeg joined the chocolate. Coffee and cream arrived with more time to wrap the coffee shop experience with hazelnut cakes and sour cherry rolls. The palate was medium to full-bodied with cherry, chocolate, li hing mui, and anise. Cherry, walnut, and hazelnut pastries danced across the palate, with rich espresso and chocolate close behind. An undercurrent of spice ran throughout with anise, cinnamon, and hints of black pepper. Leather, dried fruits, and hints of chocolate lingered at the end with a medium-length finish.

I wish the typical Glenfarclas releases had more of the body and structure one finds on those from SMWS or other independent bottlers. The spirit feels thicker and takes to water nicely; I would never guess it was the same distillery as the light and gentle official bottlings. While this kind of sherry-forward style is not my favorite, I prefer when there is a lovely maltiness to balance against the fruits of the malt. In this case, the sherry delivered a wonderful oomph of spice and coffee that sometimes veered toward nutty walnut and pecan. When I am actually in the mood for something dominated by sherry, this is what I want— or something wilder with more balsamic, but that is less common.

Overall, this refill butt had a lot left to give; this was a wonderful Glenfarclas. I am confident fans of sherry forward malts and Glenfarcla-stans would score this a few notches higher.