Glenfarclas 12 Year

Raisins, bitter orange, plum, spice, barrel oak

Intense on alcohol. Sherry. Fruity.

Revisiting 2/3rds of the way down. Butter. Gently malted grain. Lemon tart. Gooseberries. Sherry. Fresh bread. Buttery butter. Astringent oak. Custard. Toasted pie crust. Oh god look at those legs. Boozy bananas foster. Rosewater. A snickerdoodle cookie where the cream of tartar stands front and center. OK. Me and this whisky are finally having a moment... I think I get it now. This ‘farclas distillate and aging are one of a kind. Creamy, grainy, salty kettle corn with a very sharp tanginess. Musty. Heather. Oloroso DNA is all over this but somehow doesn’t feel sherry-dominated. Challenging and aggressive, yet somehow still refined. This is not a crowd-pleaser. But it has a concentrated lemon drop hard candy essence and an “abuse me and I like it” intensity that get into you a bit.

The “still signature” on this is so strong, it sorta tastes like moonshine made from a burnt mash, which I don’t really appreciate in what is supposed to be a nice, luxurious sherry scotch. It adds complexity without adding any fun. Strangely enough, it actually tastes better with a little ice. The mouthfeel gets thicker, the still signature weirdness tightens up into a simpler bitterness, and the sherry aspects get sweeter. Either way, you’re better off spending your money elsewhere. (Looking at other reviews, it might be that I had a bad batch, who knows)

Wonderful tangerine and dark fruits smells.