Glenfarclas The Family Casks 27 Years Old 1984

A distillery release of Glenfarclas, a 27 year old, from 1984, cask 6030, at 51%, 264 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt, one of the last great family owned distilleries in Scotch. Direct firing chars the wash a little, lending the rich, nutty depth Glenfarclas is known for. Its whiskies are bottled at their natural colour, without chill filtration.

It was drawn from a thick, heavy wash, for a weighty, nutty spirit the sherry then deepens. A bourbon barrel held it, the wood adding a soft honey over the fruit. In the oxidative, evaporative years the spirit concentrates to dried fruit, dark chocolate and a waxy, resinous depth. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body. Maturation runs slow and even in the dunnage warehouses at Ballindalloch. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate.

At its natural 51% it is rich and chewy. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, lifted by a sweet oak. Beneath it run dried fruit, dark sugar and a warm spice. The finish runs long, full and warming. This is a richly sherried Speyside single malt.