Glenfarclas, The Family Casks, 2004-2015, Special Selected Bottling 1st fill Oloroso Sherry Butt, Cask Number 2623, 683 bottles, 60.4% abv.

This 11 year old was bottled for Dutch importer Van Wees Holland.

Nose: initially sharp, major mangoes, cherimoya, papaya, cantaloupe, light cherries, maybe some mangosteens, hints of vanilla, caramel, baked apples. Strong sherry and stronger vanilla notes come later.

Palate: great body, initially sour wood, pastries, some tobacco, there's a lot going on but it's hard to discern given the natural temporal shortness of an initial palate. Mid palate is coffee with chocolate almost akin to an unsweetened or lightly sweetened tiramisu, slight raisins, very light wood, cereal, white doughnut glaze American style if you know what I mean. Back palate is major wooded honey, tropical fruits, baked pastries. Complex. I'm at a loss of words because it's so delicious.

Finish: medium, tropical fruits persist, honey, mints/menthol, hints of lightly cinnamoned peppermint candies.

This is amazing! Interestingly, this bottle was opened one week ago (I drank this on May 20, 2018). The nose of essentially tropical fruits is quite interesting, I've only experienced it in old benriach single casks (and more extreme tropical fruitiness in old Bowmores). The taste is also amazing, three staged flavors which are very distinguishable, intense and flavorful, extremely well balanced and amazingly complex. For such a young whisky, I think it is thoroughly enjoyable from start to finish. I admit, since I was only exposed to the underwhelming core product line, I never thought much of Glenfarclas. The Family casks are quite amazing; tasty and memorable, a definite drinker and collectors item. To be honest, their Family Casks remind me of Aberlour A'bunadh, which I also love.

Grade: A-

Whiskysaga, Thomas Øhrbom, 87/100

Image courtesy of Eric Yee.

Eric Yee

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