A Glenfarclas 1986 of around 30 years of age, bottled as part of the Winter 2015 batch of Family Casks.
Glenfarclas 1986
(54,8%, OB ‘Family Casks’ 2015, refill sherry butt #4334, 536 btl.)
Glenfarclas 1986Nose: very typical and very elegant. Some fruity notes (oranges, Mirabelles) but the spices are bigger. Clove and cinnamon. Leather, walnut cake, hints of tobacco leaves. Beautiful waxy notes after a while. Mild sherry, and all the elements find a harmonious balance.
Mouth: same feeling really, which is excellent. First a combination of pepper and orange, then apricots and tangerines, a little Earl Grey. Then ginger, cloves, walnuts and a medium oakiness. The combination of fruit jams and generous spices and herbs is great.
Finish: quite long, a little simpler now, with spices, tobacco, bitter orange and oak.
A great Family Cask, pretty much all you can expect from an old Glenfarclas. Elegance and punch combined. Around € 450. Thank you Olivier, nowadays not so many people open their Family Casks.
Score: 90/100