🥃 Whisky Auctioneer

A gorgeous, delicious, beautiful whisky to drink! 22 22 21 22 87

Blind tasting of a sample.

[October 2020] I started to drink single malt whisky in the early nineties and since then I experienced basically three different kinds of interesting drams (leaving all the forgot-about-it-on-next-morning stuff aside): First there are the truly exceptional malts which I recognise immediately upon the first sniff and sip and no matter when or where I have another dram - I will enjoy it greatly. The second group are malts which offer an interesting nose and taste upon the first encounter but the more I drink the less I enjoy these drams (which I call "hit-and-run" stuff) - unfortunately many modern whiskies fall into this category. But there is the exact opposite to this group as well: Whiskies which appear rather average and uninteresting on the first dram, but they grow boldly on every additional sip, I call these "shy champions"... ...and this old anniversary edition of Glenfarclas is one of the best examples for this third category. The first measure provides the impressions of an average faultless sherried dram without highlights, not more and not less. But every additional dram digs me deeper into a world of complex and perfectly balanced aromas and flavours which were not there during the first sips. Maybe my taste buds were not capable to detect all these interwoven impressions right on and had to adapt to such a profile first. Maybe it is all different? Finally, I do not care, I simply enjoy it. I experience such profiles quite often with drams which are rated average by many members (who had just a sample at their hands) but exceptional by a few (who own one or more bottles). The great thing about the "shy champions" is you can buy such bottles at competitive prices, still (e.g., at whisky auctions). But be cautions: Not every malt with a chequered rating is a "shy champion", it could well be a faulty dram too which flaws some people tolerate (or even enjoy) and others not... [July 2015] I emptied another bottle that I bought for 98 Euro in December 2014.  This special anniversary bottling was vatted from 16 casks from all of the last decades until 2000 including the oldest cask no. 1711 in the warehouse which was distilled in 1952. ...not to be tasted when in a rush! And small samples do not work either. [December 2014] Together with friends I emptied a bottle that I bought for 98 Euro in September 2014. In my old rating system (ten scales that translate into WB points: 50 - 66 - 75 - 80 - 82,5 - 85 - 87,5 - 90 - 92,5 - 95) I scored it 90. [November 2022] I re-tasted this dram after an exceptionally good 37-years old Glenmorangie (WB213714) which I scored 93 points and guess what? I still score this Glenfarclas on par with that old Glenmorangie on 93 points too. But I can fully comprehend if others find this dram rather average only because it does not offer any signature "spike" flavours or "I-kick-your-taste-buds" impressions. Instead, it is just an extraordinary harmonious mix of delicious flavours with both fresh young and complex old characteristics in a (sorry folks, I have to repeat this) sexy combo. Forget about any small measures tasting, this will just lead to nowhere as my taste buds demand at least 5cl before they accept to acknowledge the high quality of this dram. This was and still stays my benchmark dram when it comes down to calibrate scores above 92 points - the only problematic thing is that it is very hard to stop yourself serving the next dram once you had two drams already. But there are many more worse things in life than that...

Excellent marriage of old and young maturation. The sherry not dominate. 43% ABV is expressive.

This is a good whisky, by every means, but it did not become a sherry monster.

Blender's Glass (recommended!). Aroma 23. Subtle notes of old sherry and old oak are intertwined with younger fresh aromas of ripe fruit, nuts with honey, flower and grass pollen, citrus and dried fruit with jam. It does take time - it unfolds layer by layer, gradually. Taste 22.5 Spicy, tart - like eating honey with ginger, grapefruit, sour apples in hay, dark chocolate with nuts and espresso foam with a wooden spoon. The aftertaste is 22 medium-long, astringent with a slight bitterness of chocolate and nuts. Balance 22.5

Tried at a regulars' table, therefore shorter notes. Nice assemblage of various vintages from GF, the old ones really add depth, with very fresh notes coming through in the finish that I don't 100% like. Still a great, round and complex piece.