Glenfarclas The Family Casks 26 Years Old 1988 Cask #1993

A 26 year old Glenfarclas, a distillery bottling, from 1988, cask 1993, at 56.4%, 256 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a deep, dark Speyside malt of dried fruit, nut and spice. Its spirit is matured almost wholly in sherry butts brought up from Jerez.

The spirit was worked unhurried through the stillhouse, the direct fired stills lending a nutty depth. Maturation came in an Oloroso sherry cask, layered over the full Glenfarclas make. In the oxidative, evaporative years the spirit concentrates to dried fruit, dark chocolate and a waxy, resinous depth. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. The full bodied spirit takes active sherry wood well, carrying its dark sugars through the years.

Bottled at a cask strength 56.4%, it is deep and concentrated. A deep, dark sweetness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath it run dried fruit, dark sugar and a warm spice. A long finish carries raisin, chocolate and a treacle. This is a dark, fruity Speyside single malt.