Re-tasted at Glenfarclas Distillery, post-tour tasting, 3rd May 2024, whisky# 3 Like the 15 year old that I tasted on the day of the tour, this was more fragrantly floral than I remember the 25 year old ever being, and once again I cannot account for this unless it was due to batch variation or my senses being heightened by tasting it at the distillery. Otherwise my notes were very similar to the review I had previously posted here (see below) so there is nothing else to add. However, it is worth repeating the correction to the Distiller scope notes for this listing. Glenfarclas 25 (like all Glenfarclas core expressions) is 100% sherry cask matured. Bourbon casks are not used, but the distillery will re-fill casks up to three times (i.e. 4th fill). It is my belief that the balance of casking has shifted further towards re-fill over the years whereas back in the day this was mostly 1st fill matured, but I have no proof for this. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars) ----------------------------------------- Glenfarclas tasting night at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 4 July 2019. Whisky #4 Nose: Sherry, dark honey, orange marmalade, espresso, dried fruits (figs, dates, apricots, apples, raisins), herbal notes, powdered ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, marzipan and walnut loaf. An uplifting aroma of old, but healthy, oak cask. This nose is very reminiscent of a dunnage warehouse. There are slight aromas of mint and pipe tobacco in the background that only emerge over time. Palate: The arrival is immediately captivating – velvety smooth with no intrusive spirity presence, it’s an enfolding cashmere blanket of sherried malt enlivened by a light touch of gentle spice. As it develops you notice the dark fruitcake heart of the palate. Mixed fruit and nuts, cherries, dark chocolate, coffee and manuka honey. Oak tannins provide an authoritative foundation with warm baking spices in abundance but there are no harsh, sharp or hot notes. The signature Glenfarclas spicy ginger is much mellower here. The texture is rich but firm, and overall the palate is precisely poised between sweet and dry. Finish: Medium/long. Clean dark fruitcake flavours fade into inky blackness leaving a delicate walnut and bittersweet dark chocolate aftertaste. This whisky has many of the profile characteristics that are found in younger Glenfarclas expressions but nothing here is loud or artless. There is a relaxed refinement about the profile and great complexity, so intricate and subtle that at first introduction the whisky might seem simple. It's all about the interplay of bold aromas and flavours that have modulated and interacted over time to create a mature whole. Give this whisky 20-30 minutes to compose itself in the glass before tasting and don't hurry the experience. It may seem a little understated at first but there is a great deal to discover if you are patient and allow it to unfold at its own pace. If this were a painting it would be a Constable landscape. Note: The Distiller notes on this site say that this whisky is matured in a combination of bourbon and sherry casks, but that's not correct. Glenfarclas 25 is, and always has been, 100% oloroso cask matured, using a combination of first-fill and refill. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars)