Glenfarclas Distillery Exclusive 21 Years Old 2002

This official Glenfarclas, a 21 year old, from 2002, cask 3774, at 54.3%, a festival bottling. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt from Ballindalloch, in the heart of Speyside. It draws on that deep inventory for the Family Casks, single vintages reaching back to the 1950s. Its spirit is matured almost wholly in sherry butts brought up from Jerez.

Worked unhurried through the stillhouse, shaping a rich Speyside body with real weight. Maturation came in an Oloroso sherry cask, layered over the full Glenfarclas make. Through oxidative maturity the esters concentrate, the orchard notes turning to raisin, fig and a dark chocolate. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. Active wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt.

At a hearty 54.3% it carries real weight. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A dark chocolate and a soft oak give it weight. A long finish carries raisin, chocolate and a treacle. This is a rich Speyside malt of dried fruit and nut.