Glenfarclas 30 Year

Suprisingly light nose, with some floral notes and sherry coming through. Full and warm mouthful, with malted cereal, dried fruit and baking spice on the palate. The finish is long and peppery, with a slight bitter aftertaste of cocoa nibs. Overall an oak-heavy and unbalanced dram. Quite disappointing.

Age does not a fine whisky make. Really not. Considering how much I've enjoyed some of this distillery's other expressions (the 15, the 105), I was not expecting the 30-year-old to negatively perplex me the way it did. The nose underperforms, though with enough effort you can tease out some touches of sherry and ethereal. The palate on the other hand is much more complex, as notes of walnut and fruitcake surface. Unfortunately, it's here that a problematic aroma competes with the more pleasant notes - a bitterness I can only describe as dark chocolate gone bad, coupled with a certain sulfurous flavor that makes me question the quality of the casks. It's too bad, and hey maybe it's me, but I did not enjoy this expression.