Glenfarclas The Family Casks 19 Years Old 2004

A distillery release of Glenfarclas, a 19 year old, from 2004, cask 1106, at 54.2%, 457 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt, one of the last great family owned distilleries in Scotch. Its whiskies are bottled at their natural colour, without chill filtration. Its slow, cool dunnage maturation loses very little to the angels each year. It draws on that deep inventory for the Family Casks, single vintages reaching back to the 1950s.

It was distilled to a rich, generous cut, shaping a rich Speyside body with real weight. It was fully matured in a Port cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. Through oxidative maturity the esters concentrate, the orchard notes turning to raisin, fig and a dark chocolate. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit. Active wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt.

Bottled at a cask strength 54.2%, it is deep and concentrated. Orange, raisin and a treacle edge, with red berry, plum and a dry spice from the cask. It is full and fruity, the spirit carrying the cask. A long finish carries raisin, chocolate and a treacle. This is Glenfarclas's deep, fruity Speyside style.