Apple juice on the nose. It has a strongly woody profile that reminds me a bit of Swift sauternes. It's a smooth drink with a mellow sweetness and barely any smoke. Some spices and floral notes are present, but they are more there in hints. The flavor doesn't really develop beyond the first taste, so this is more a demonstration of commitment to aging than anything else. The finish is kind of meh. All told, this would be an excellent 12 year, but as a premium spirit, it is a let down. Definitely a good drink, but not the quality a 25 should really be delivering. It actually tastes a little bit of floor cleaner, so I'd prefer some (regular) Swift to this. On second tasting this is much better. It's a lot like a bitter American Single Malt with a somewhat creamy, malty element. I enjoy it and would definitely sip it, but it is not excellent. Kind if like a vanilla malt milkshake. I'd appreciate more complexity so at this price I'd go for something else. Some well-rounded spices and notes of red apples are present, but there's nothing to crazy happening here. Maybe a tad harsh, but mostly fine. It's really good, but just not worth the price. This may not be as good as Redbreast 21, but it is on par and is quite good, even in comparison. I was looking to kick this under the rug and declare Macallan Rare Cask or Glenmorangie Signet king, but this beat both of them. Long live Glenfarclas 25! Second opinions are worth considering. Third opinion: coffee combines with some other flavors to give it a noticeable flavor of floor polish. That flavor could be refined a bit, but the pure smoke mixed into it is satisfying and the myriad other flavors that dance in and out in the background are delightful. The nose is a fruity wood, sort of reminiscent of the smell of the Marten furs from the first volume of Spice And Wolf. The flavor has tons of wood, but it does not taste purely of floor polish. The floor polish is mild and rich apples and coconut take the fore. There is some mild cocoa presence. The depth gradually builds and it adds some mild spices and faint hints of tobacco. It varies as it goes on and is rich throughout. This is not excellent by 25 year Scotch standards, but it is excellent by regular Scotch standards. It's well developed and deep. It balances Islay with Speyside without tasting weird and it definitely tastes old. A great drink. The woodiness is strong, but the flavor is rich, deep, and developed. It is reminiscent of Tequila San Matias Extra Anejo, but has some Compass Box Spice Tree in it and is even deeper than the two combined. The degree to which the flavor of Glenfarclas 25 develops as it lingers is impressive. The quality is a bit contextual, but it is also quite enjoyable. This is a great drink and although it is expensive, it is hard to find another drink like this one in this price range. Even after drinking the best of other drinks, this leaps out as a delightfully complex and perfectly balanced dram with no flavors pushing each other off course. It's marvelous and the first perfect score of 23 out of 23 that I have ever given. Well done, Glenfarclas! The nose is tremendously leathery, but sweet and woody note come through. There are mild floral notes and the wood brings in some vanilla. The sweetness in the nose is rounded out by a rich, fruity apple flavor. Apple, rose blossoms, orange blossoms, oak, and leather rof course. The palate mirrors the nose with delightful matching of floral fruitiness with woody leather. There is just enough sweetness, but the flavors stand on their own without needing to be sweet. There is a little smoke, but just enough to balance things. The palate can be a bit harsh for newbies, but it is not particularly spicy. The richness is there is full, but it does not overwhelm the complexity. Surprisingly, the strong leather creates a rich canvas upon which the rest of this dram's complexity is painted. While I can think of other things that I find delightful, such as apricots, this whiskey has no off flavors and a great deal of spot-on flavors that are also balanced and deliver terrific complexity. Whole this may not be the paradigmatic scotch, it is a masterpiece.