Glenfarclas 21 Year

Two fingers neat in a stemmed nosing glass. Pours a nice golden amber. Smells like fermenting bread with a sourdough character, plus a distinct hint of the sweetness to come. Decent bit of oak, with earthiness and resinous character from the wood. Bit of peppery spice, with some solvent notes. Sweet and spicy! Honey and sugar with a hot hot zip of alcohol, leading to a long, warm, numbing finish. I swear I've had gentler whiskey at cask strength. Acidic and oily, coating the mouth with a heated blanket. Long hot finish moving from the mouth to the throat and beyond; some deep cooling breaths help balance the heat, and bring some dark cocoa along with the ghost of sweetness. Szechuan peppercorn numbness lingers long after the last sips. Overall, not a favourite of mine... Lots of character to the point of being brash and abrasive, with the sweetness trying to soften an otherwise weighty blow. I wouldn't get another bottle at Onterrible prices...

Served neat in a Glencairn class, freshly opened new bottle. So sweet and pretty on the nose! Sherry is the star, with apple streusel making an appearance, and some surprisingly floral notes, as well. Sherry is again the dominating note, with dried apricots and green apple bobs taking the mid-pallate. Honey and unlit cigars round out the tasting. Mouth-feel isn't thin, but isn't as luscious as the best. The oak is subdued, but definitely there. The finish is much spicier than I would expect for the age, and the oak isn't nearly as prominent as I expected, again, especially for the age. I would guess the cask was not a first fill, or possibly not European oak. This Sherry bomb could be tops if it were more complex, but for the money, this is one of the best values out there.

Very tasty whisky. Rich in the nose with light floral notes then salted caramel. Tastes spicier than expected. Overall very good whisky for the price.