Rating: 16/23 This was produced from 13 hogsheads released exclusively for the German market. I'm a big fan of Glenfarclas 25 and I hear that Glenfarclas reaches its peak between 25 and 30 years, so at roughly 28 and bottled by the distillery at cask strength I had to buy this N: Odd. I'm not getting a ton here. It seems kind of high proof, but also kind of light. There's some really dusty wood coming out along with cinnamon and sort of a tart apple. There's some grain, but it isn't especially malty. I eventually get a faint hint of smooth, somewhat bitter orange oil and mint The barrels used must have ben especially tired. This smells decent, but it's far from the rich Glenfarclas 25 that I love. I'm very confused. P: There's a big kick of the proof and I get a substantial amount of fruit, but the fruits are in the lemon to sultana range with some faint orange, not the rich, dark, chocolate ones of Glenfarclas 25. I do get some substantial bitter mint that borders on chocoalately at points, but it's a clean, start dark chocolate flavor. There's a big layer of dusty wood as well, with a substantial spicy kick of cinnamon and maybe white pepper to it. Where's the Glenfarlas funk? Where's the big richness and complexity? There's a light, dry toastiness to the barley and a little maltiness, but it doesn't taste particularly malty. This has more of the bite of Glenfarclas 105 with a profile more aligning with a well aged Glen Grant. This tastes like it might have been aged in some of the 3rd or 4th fill oloroso casks that Glenfarclas uses, but it just has nowhere near the same funkiness, so it's hard to believe that it was made from the same distillate. This is a really nice palate, but it isn't what I am looking for or expect from from Glenfarclas. It has a bite from the proof, but it isn't really harsh. It displays some mellow, mature wood character. It has a clean profile. But that big, funky Glenfarclas profile isn't here. The high proof does help with the fullness though and it's what allows that sultana flavor to come through. A little water brings out a tad more fruit, but water isn't really doing much here. It's easy to lose track of, but there is actually an intense fullness here from the proof. F: Some dry wood lingers a bit with faint sultana and some of that mint. Some vague, kind of numbing, spice mixes with a bit of tannins. That's about it. - Conclusion - This has a really unobjectionable profile that is easy to sip, aside from the heat, but it isn't what I'm looking for in Glenfarclas and I don't think it's an excellent scotch either. This is more at the level of Glenfarlas 21 or Càrn Mòr's 26 year old bottling of Glen Grant from 1992. This is less fruity and sharper than either the Glenfarclas 21 or the Glen Grant. This is definitely the driest and most restrained of the three, with the most wood presence - though it does have some of the malt make itself surprisingly known at times. Lismore 21 has a fuller richness to it with a bit more malty sweetness. I get a whiff more sulfur out of it, but it's not a lot. The Lismore gives me more the impression of a field of grain than the distilled grain whisky impression I get from this dram. I like them both, but I prefer the Lismore - and I think I prefer the Glenfarclsa 21 too. That's a bit disappointing considering that this is older, a limited release, and bottled at a higher proof. Unfortunately, I think this means that I need to pick a score in the range of what I gave the Glen Grant, though I actually think that the Glen Grant is a bit better. Side by side, this does have. a little bit of that Glenfarclas funk compared with the Glen Grant, but it's still not much. The Glen Grant seems to have improved a fair amount with oxygen, so I think that the 16 I gave it previously is low now. Sigh, another one to add to the re-review queue. I didn't expect to be commenting on Glen Grant here, but I can now tell that it's solidly better than Dalwhinnie 15, which I now think of as about a 15 or 16. I've considered a 17, but I'm going with a 16. I also briefly contemplated a 15, but there is enough maturity and complexity here that I can appreciate this. And there's nothing wrong with it beyond the disappointment of being so vastly inferior to the regular Glenfarclas 25 bottling.