bigwhitemike
Glenfarclas 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
October 30, 2020 (edited March 19, 2021)
Simplistic packaging with a very classic vibe - almost looks hand-labeled - but the foil is pleasing and substantive, plus some “we did it ourselves” authenticity. Relatively pale yellow with a faint orange hue. Thin weight, but eventually develops some nice cascading legs.
The nose is a bit harsh and doesn’t generate much appeal for me. Some jasmine tea and butter, but generally hot. Deadened grains.
Unusual toasted notes are prominent. Sweetness and barley grain. Cream. Apricot and honeydew. Flower petals and a gentle red table grape flavor. A spiced zing. The Oloroso is immediately recognizable and carries the palate. Starts tentative with an evasive Irish-ish profile, but builds quickly and the finish lingers satisfyingly.
Overall pleasant with a few standout characteristics. Musty and a bit different that the usual offerings which adds a touch of complexity and interest. A compelling option, but not worth its typical >$50 price tag IMO. Recommended when available at a discount.
45.0
USD
per
Bottle
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I hope he loves it @bigwhitemike ! But if not, I guess you have a good fallback plan to try it yourself ;)
Alright, @ContemplativeFox, now it’s your fault. Was looking for something nice to send to my brother for his birthday and took a flier on the 21 year. Pretty great prices for these longer agings as you noted. Maybe he’ll still have a little left in the bottle for me to try next time I get out there to visit... but maybe not if he loves it!
That's the problem with being on this site @bigwhitemike
@ContemplativeFox good to know. Or perhaps bad, since now I’m tempted to go find another bottle I probably don’t need just for the adventure of it all!
Well good news @bigwhitemike - Farclas is about as cheap as well aged malt whisky gets :) Don't tell anyone though. The 21 is usually around $110 and the $25 is more like $140. It's just the younger stuff that seems to be kind of expensive.
@ContemplativeFox intrigued but not floored by the 12 year, but I like the philosophy of this distillery and see enough promise in the profile that I’d give a shot at the longer agings as long as they don’t break the bank.
As always, @cascode shows up with some great historical context :) The handwritten seems especially fitting since Glenfarclas is the last remaining independently owned distillery in Scotland.
I dig the complexity too on this one @bigwhitemike, but I have to agree that it isn't terribly balanced. Older farclas really. ones together nicely though :)
@cascode Didn’t know that history. Very cool
@cascode that’s an awesome bit of history. Immediately brings to mind a person I work with who would have absolutely done the same thing.
@bigwhitemike The "Glenfarclas" logo on every bottle is in the handwriting of the current owner's father. When they were designing the "new" label in the 1950s George Grant, who was owner and managing director at the time, was getting impatient with drawn-out discussions. He cut things short by writing "Glenfarclas" with his fountain pen on a scrap of paper and ordering "there - just use that". It's been unchanged ever since.