Glenfarclas just makes whiskies. I love ugly bottles, because it tells me that the distillery is not trying to sell you “an experience.” Fuck that experience shit. Don’t tell me how to think. Especially when alcohol is involved. An independent bottler would look at Glenfarclas’s ugly-ass tin and bottle and ask “What are you doing?” Only Longrow has Glenfarclas beat in the ugly competition. But you know what? This 12 year old cost me $37. NOSE: Powerful. Wine. I was surprised how much fresh grape peel and apple peel I was getting from the nose. Having been lucky enough to have tried some 25 year old and family cask Glenfarclas (bargains for the ages), I was expecting a hit of sherry. Not so. Sherry is there, but only after your nose acclimates to the sharp fruit notes. Lots of grass. PALATE: Initially, it’s nothing like the nose. It’s light and rounded. The flavors take some time to reveal, but there is quite a bit complexity. Lots of fresh fruitiness: apricots, unripe honeydew, honey, Gala apple. Some sherry influence, but once again, it’s subdued. Towards the end, a lot of malt, almost like a Scottish ale; and very mild spiciness. FINISH: So, at my normal pace for a 12 year old, of taking about 30 minutes to finish a 1.5 ounce-ish pour, there is no finish to speak of. You speed it up, and drink (ahem, taste) twice as fast and you get some finish. It actually gets pretty intensely spicy with cloves and nutmeg. With water, and with time/oxygen, the nose and palate become more similar. The nose rounds out, and the palate becomes a little more spiky with spicy notes. VERDICT: So, I last had this side by side with Macallan 12 Sherry 43% ABV. Unfortunately, the experience justified the extra bucks Macallan is charging. Glenfarclas is just anemic and watery in comparison, even though it is also 43%. I want to love Glenfarclas so much, but it does make Macallan look good, and there is a little bit of a you-get-what-you-pay-for lesson. Still, have it side-by-side with Glenfiddich 12, and Glenfarclas is gargantuan. MARK: 78/100. If you can find it for under $40, it’s worth it.