Everyone who knows me knows I’m a big fan of Glenfarclas, their big sherry bombs are just Devine. Over the years I have had the pleasure of sampling quite a few of the family casks and getting several bottles for my collection,  these single barrels really do show off the quality of this distillery and helps to answer why so many people think this distillery produces some of the very best sherried bottles of whisky available today.  The family cask range was first introduced back in 2007, when the distillery released 43 different expressions,  each a single barrel and each from a different year.  The range started with a cask from 1952 right up to 1994.   Each  year the distillery adds another year and releases some fresh bottles from years that have sold out.  Unfortunately  the very early years are becoming very rare and obviously some casks  will be impossible to replace, casks from the 50s will now be very scarce.  These casks are bottled at natural cask strength and are natural colour.  All of the casks are Sherry casks, and the colour varies tremendously.

Todays review is another one from my collection and is from 1994 ( the year my eldest daughter was born ) This bottle is one from 609 bottles from cask 3629  and is bottled at 59.3%abv.

Nose..  At first this is quite fresh, but once that sherry takes control it just oozes quality, big, full on dried fruits, dates, raisins and figs, candied orange and rich dark chocolate. Liquorice and old leather notes pop up while a burnt almond aroma floats around on the back of thick dark treacle.

Palate.. This just instantly takes control of every millimetre  there is in your mouth, it’s like popping candy the way it explodes in the mouth. Those big full on flavours that take you on a journey into the Middle East just scream quality. When you hear the description ” Christmas cake” well this is it, lovely dried fruits, chocolate, candied citrus peel, and quite a lot of vanilla all just keep comming in wave after wave of deliciousness.

Finish.. Crisp, long and very satisfying.

Thoughts.. Bottles like this are not often available due to most distilleries ” vatting” in order to fit into a profile, thank God Glenfarclas had the insight to release a series of single casks.  I and many others do believe Glenfarclas whisky around the 15yo is about perfect, obviously the older whisky is beyond belief and alas my pocket too, but like the 15 yo this is just about perfect, the unique flavours and extra abv just give this range that edge.  There is just something  about Glenfarclas at this age, a little rough ( in a very good way ) and it just takes you to the edge without going that little bit further like the old expressions can. Hopefully one day I will get the chance to sample some of the really old stuff and put a review on here. Looks like another lottery ticket is needed..