Glenfarclas The Family Casks 21 Years Old 2000

Glenfarclas from the distillery, a 21 year old, from 2000, cask 3387, at 57.9%, 621 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a richly sherried Speyside single malt, run by the Grant family since 1865. Direct firing chars the wash a little, lending the rich, nutty depth Glenfarclas is known for. Its water rises from the granite of Ben Rinnes, above the distillery at Ballindalloch.

Distilled to a rich, generous cut, giving a deep, full bodied Speyside spirit. A bourbon barrel held it, the wood adding a soft honey over the fruit. At oxidative maturity aldehydes lend a nutty edge while ellagitannins draw a drying, structured grip across the fruit. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body. The cool, slow dunnage ageing loses little to evaporation, the spirit holding its depth. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register.

At a natural 57.9% it is full and rich. A deep, dark sweetness, lifted by a sweet oak. A dark chocolate and a soft oak give it weight. The finish runs long, full and warming. This is a rich Speyside malt of dried fruit and nut.