Whisky: Glenfarclas 28 Year (1992), Hunter Laing "Probably Speyside's Finest"

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 47.2%

Cask: Refill Barrel

Age: 28 Years (Distilled May 1992, Bottled Sept. 2020)

Nose: Citrusy and sweet with hints of herbal tea, honey, and salt; a kiss of melon and pith carried on with mellow wood and a touch of chalk; guava hard candies provided a tropical flair with hints of cream.

Palate: Medium to light-bodied, crisp citrus, guava, and melon hard candies arrived first with a touch of pith; lime leaves and green peppercorns announced an herbal turn with lemongrass, herbal tea, and a touch of grassy pandan sugar.

Finish: Medium to long with drying citrus, melon rind, and subtle wood.

Score: 7 (84)

Mental Image: Melon Boba Tea

Narrative & Notes: A beautiful Speyside from a not-so-mysterious distillery, though one that prefers to remain nameless and protect its brand identity. Glenfarclas is rightly associated with sherry maturations and a robust malt whose flavors retain good coherency when bottled at the distillery’s preferred 46 to 50% abv.  So, tasting something not matured in a sherry cask and bottled at cask strength is a bit special.

I loved the beautiful citrus and tropical vibes, which reminded me of lime leaves and guava hard candies, basically dinner at one of my favorite Vietnamese restaurants.  The malt maintained a lovely background cream and herbal character that came through at the end and provided additional complexity to the fruity beginning.  If I were to quibble at all, it would be that the whisky was a touch light, I wanted the flavors to be more robust, and it sometimes felt a bit one-dimensional and overly pithy— or astringent from wood tannins.  Still, those seem like minor issues when the total package was otherwise compelling and an absolute delight.

Overall, a beautiful mature malt with a cohesive and refreshing set of flavors.

Image Credit: Whisky.com

About Glenfarclas

Always quaffable and nearly always a bargain compared to other brands, especially for its higher age statements. The malt shines at cask strength, though those releases are less common.

Renowned for their attention to detail and dedication to tradition, the Grant family has one foot in scotch history and another in its future. Much like Springbank in Campbeltown, Glenfarclas has a reputation for sticking with what works, yet their emphasis on brand identity (and legal enforcement of their trademarks) has made them a trendsetter and pioneer of the single malt market we enjoy today, even opening a visitor center way back in 1973.

Established in 1836, Glenfarclas has been in the hands of the Grant family since 1865. During the booming 1960s and 70s, the distillery underwent a massive expansion and transformation. Glenfarclas maintains a diverse portfolio of products that shift and change slightly occasionally (even if the labeling has remained relatively constant). The whisky produced there is rich and heavy as a slightly larger cut of the tails taken during distillation provides extra body to hold up against the sherry maturation for which the distillery is famous.

Style: Rich and malty, dried fruits and baking spice, typically sherried.