Tastes

This 10 year old Speyside single malt comes in at the minimum 40% ABV. I believe it is non chill filtered. I know that it is natural color, which is amber gold. I spent the last two nights pondering over a 5oz sample sent to me by Lee G. Here is what I found. On the initial pour and only a couple minute wait I was slapped in the face by a big oak 4x4 and not really in a good way. It was definitely harsh, so I decided to let it sit for another 10 minutes. So glad I did. Fresh cut damp wood, sherried oak and sherried fruits, but not very sweet fruits. A brief hit of rubber tires (not unpleasant) that faded fast. Summertime grasses, light lemongrass. A light nuttiness and some malty notes. Dried apricots or nectarines. As the level in the glass goes down a syrupy sweetness starts to develop. It ends with more wet wood and sherried fruits. The palate has a much spicier arrival than I expected, but nothing compared to a Talisker 10 for example. Heavy oak and oak spices. Sherried oak. There is a hint of cayenne pepper (flavor more than heat) that is brief and fleeting. Sherried dried fruits round it out. The mouthfeel is fairly dense and a bit oily. The finish is medium short, dry with a bit of sherry sweetness. Time and patience is needed with this single malt more than most. It really demands your focus to pick out everything. If you can get past the initial blast of oak there are lots of subtle flavors to be discovered. This 10 year old shows both it's youth and a complexity beyond its age. The nose shows more like a 12 or 15 year old (closer to 12 though). The difference between the 10 and the 25 year old is huge, but I am not disappointed with the 10. I am really getting on board the Glenfarclas train and I plan to get the 12, 17, and 21 year old expressions in the future. Maybe some day I will spring for the 30. Thanks again to Lee for the generous sample. Solid 3.5. Cheers

This Speyside single malt comes in at 43% ABV, is non chill filtered and a natural color of amber honey. The nose is bursting with wonderful mixed nuts. Walnuts, Brazil nuts, and maybe some almonds. Dates and raisins with some lightly sherried dried fruits. Sherried oak and honey. I took my time nosing this whisky, about an hour before I finished. After about 30 minutes I got a big blast of cinnamon on a deep inhale. About 15 minutes after that a nice note of fresh coffee showed up but quickly vanished. Once that was gone I got a brief note of sandalwood incense. Truly a beautiful nosing whisky if you have the patience to allow it to develop. If I could create a cologne that smelled like this I would wear it every day. There is a surprisingly spicy arrival on the palate. Just the right amount of spice to be really enjoyable and not overpowering. Nuts, sherry, cinnamon and oak. Full bodied and intense. The tasting notes claim it is smoky, but I did not get any smoke. Some very light smoke would have been nice though. The mouthfeel is lightly oily at first but becomes quite dry. The finish is medium long to long, very dry with nuts and bitter dark chocolate. The finish was a little too bitter for my liking and really ended things on a down note. It took away from the great experience up until that point. Overall I really loved this single malt, despite the bitter finish. Very mature and refined. Glenfarclas is a great family owned and independent distillery. They spend very little on marketing and can keep costs down. I paid $160 for this 750ml bottle. That's pretty damn good for a 25 YO. I would have easily given this a 4.75 for its fabulous nose and great palate and value, but the finish really hurt the score and I decided to give it a 4.25. If you have the means, buy a bottle. I look forward to trying more from the Glenfarclas range in the future. Cheers