Glenfarclas 12 Year

Light. It starts floral and young and finishes dry and slightly herbal. It’s one redeeming note is the fleeting sherry sweetness in the middle (that also lingers nicely in the aftertaste). Neither soft enough to be comfortably simple or complex enough to be interesting. $75 in Ontario.

It's taken me a while to get to the point where I feel I can review this whisky, as it sent me on a rollercoaster ride initially. My first dram was quite pleasant and what I expected - a nutty, slightly spicy, lightly fruited dram that wore its sherry influence on its sleeve, but in that particular Glenfarclas style. It fell, as I expected, somewhere between the 10 and 15 year olds for complexity and body. My second dram was a disaster - I'm assuming either my taste buds were out of sorts, or I accidentally grabbed a dirty glass, or something, but it tasted foul and I almost didn't come back for a third dram. But I did, and then a fourth, and I'm happy to say that Dram #2 was an aberrance, nothing more. It is precisely what one comes to expect from Glenfarclas - dried fruits, nuts, a lightly smoky black tea quality (think Russian Caravan), a pinch of mint, a little something sweet from the bakery. It suffers a bit from comparison to older expressions, which simply bring greater complexity and longer finishes to the table, but it is an immensely drinkable sherried single malt priced quite favorably. For me, there's no need to bother with the 10 Year when I can buy a bottle of this for only an extra $7-10.

Stop number 38 on the SDT is Glenfarclas. A family owned Speyside distillery rather than corporate owned, Glenfarclas is rather unique in the scotch world. Not only are they independently owned and operated, but they are one of only a handful of distilleries that still uses direct fired stills. I have reviewed the 10 year old and the 25 and loved them both. Let's see how well this 12 year old fares. Bottled at 43% ABV and as with all Glenfarclas expressions (I believe) it is non chill filtered and natural color. This one is a beautiful golden brown, like a perfectly toasted marshmallow. A very nice sherry nose to start things off. Dense spiced Christmas fruitcake. Nutmeg, cinnamon and clove. Definite mint and black licorice. Some low levels of fruit, plums and raisins mostly, but also some chocolate oranges and caramel apples. A light nuttiness, maybe almonds. Butterscotch and toffee. Not too complex, but great regardless. Sweet and lightly spicy on the palate. Minty sherry. The spice level increases a little the more you drink. Charred oak, black tea and baking spices. Mild toffee and butterscotch. Like the nose, it's not too complex, but immensely drinkable. Light to medium bodied. A light oiliness and mouthwatering. Medium length finish. Pepper, sherry and tea. Fairly dry I was in the mood for a sweet sherried whisky tonight, and while this was not exactly sweet, it is very good. From what I remember, this is years above the 10 year old (2 to be exact lol). No bitterness in the finish like the 25 year old, but it lacks the complexity that comes with longer maturation. My love of Glenfarclas has only been strengthened and I still need to try the 17 and 21 year olds. While I would love to give this one a 4, I think a 3.75 is more appropriate. Thanks to Scott for the sample. Cheers