Summer Duets Today Glenfarclas


July 21, 2021

	Summer Duets Today Glenfarclas
	Some heavies from that famous family-owned distillery with good whisky and friendly people-who-know-what-they-are-doing inside. Is Dylan still living in the neighbourhood?

Glenfarclas '105' (60%, OB, +/-2020)

Glenfarclas '105' (60%, OB, +/-2020)
I'm really following these seminal NASses, the 104-then-105, but last time I tried it that was in 2017 (WF 86). Colour: light gold. Didn't the 105 lose some colour over time? Nose: I seem to remember quite some sherry used to be involved, but this time we're rather on malty and leafy stuff, fruit peelings, honey-glazed vegetable (try that, eggplants, turnips…) and beers. With water: beers, bitters, roasted nuts, pumpernickel. The blackest, moistest breads. Mouth (neat): I find this extremely good, if a little brutal, which was the whole point anyway. Huge maltiness, roasted nuts, concentrated syrups, artichokes and Brussels sprouts, stout… With water: takes water extremely well, it is ready for the 100 metres freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics. Excellent sweeter maltiness, barley syrup... Finish: rather long, perhaps a tad sweet(ish) but all these breads and grains can't be wrong. Comments: gold medal! What a drop, this 105, one day post-Covid we'll go to the distillery and do the largest verticale of 104-105s that's ever been done. For example, this one was maltier, and less sweet than a 2017 batch.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Glenfarclas 15 yo '100 proof' (57.1%, OB, for The Whisky Exchange, +/-2021)

Glenfarclas 15 yo '100 proof' (57.1%, OB, for The Whisky Exchange, +/-2021)
A little upset here. Look, I've been informed obout some kinds of whisky forums where some otherwise very good people were kind of complaining about the fact that we're trying too many whiskies by or for Elixir/The Whisky Exchange/Yada and other well-doing companies on whiskyfun. Here's my two-step answer. First, in the own words of famous social psychologist and part-time singer Madonna, 'I've successfully graduated from University of Zero F*^ks Given' (Ed: calm down S.!) And second, please be aware that bad brands/distilleries tend to NOT send us their stuff, which I find rather smart. Conversely, brands/distilleries that do good stuff tend to send us MORE of their stuff. Just between us, we're no masochists, we're rather happy with this situation, as this is a PERSONAL TASTING DIARY and certainly NOT A BUYING GUIDE. I may write a few more lines about those issues in the coming months. Right, years. Colour: gold. Nose: hold on, it is the same whisky! I mean, it is the 105, more or less! Perhaps just a tad deeper, but I'm not even sure about that. With water: fermenting plums, fig arrack, sloe eau-de-vie… Mouth (neat): hell, it is just a marginally brighter and more citrusy 105, with a few more beerish notes, hops, thick ale, speculoos... Isn't this one a little… Belgian? With water: it really is the 105. I'm not saying they took the 105 and just slapped a 15 label onto it, but they're really close. Finish: even the finishes are pretty similar. This 15 might be a little rounder, cakier and fruitier, but those differences are totally marginal. Comments: we could down 10l of each to try to find differences, which wouldn't be very sensible. Please don't let the children read this.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Check the index of all Glenfarclas we've tasted so far