Glenfarclas 18 Year

I bought this exclusively for the age statement. It is thin, relatively hot, and has very subdued fruitiness which is supposedly its calling card flavor. You are much better off seeking out a glendronach if youre looking for a fruity scotch. This isnt good for much.

beautiful hint of wood, grass and spices

Where to start? Lots of thoughts. I enjoy the young GFs especially at the price point. And I had tastes of the 17 and 21 and enjoyed both. So when I saw the opportunity to snag 1L of this for $70 it was an obvious buy. I really wanted to like this. So much so that taste after mildly disappointing taste I’d hold off on reviewing this, hoping it was the pour, or my mood, or just something about the state of my taste buds that was off and the next time I’d get what I’d come to expect from glenfarclas. Well I just poured my last dram, and 1L later I’m still at that point of “meh”. Time to move on i guess. But not before reviewing it. The nose Is subtle. The honey is there. Light floral notes. Sweet and light fruits. A little sulfur but overall not unpleasant. It’s very thin. I wasn’t expecting a meaty mouthfeel but for 18 years you’d think you’d get a little more texture. The sherry is also muted. Considering the age this surprised me...Wonder how many refills this cask has seen. It’s got a little heat to it, the spice shows up but not in a really welcome way. I enjoy spice from time to time but this was like a drive-by intrusion, and not even a violent one. An egging? It comes on in a quick burst then disappears. The finish isn’t long or short. Which shouldn’t take away any points but what does linger unfortunately is the sulfur. Leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Overall I am probably being too harsh. Of the approximately 10-12 drams I’ve had of this liter perhaps this is the worst. But then again I may have said that several times. I wouldn’t buy this again. I’d rather have the 10 or 12 even though this doesn’t cost much more than those.

Very aromatic and full on the nose right from a fresh pour. Fresh orchard fruit, blackberry, sour kiwi, marzipan, apple peel. Then some ginger, bitter & sour grapefruit, fresh ground black pepper, a bid of pumpkin spice and saw dust. Finally old sherry cask aromas. The taste is surprisingly sharp with a hot pepper burn. Underlying are the fruity notes, some dark honey, also some vanilla and a distinct floral wood taste with a mild bitterness. It becomes much sweeter (creamy fudge) after a few sips but the burn stays and is really surprising for its 43 ABV.