Glenfarclas 25 Years Old (Golden 25)

A distillery release of Glenfarclas, a 25 year old, at 43%. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt drawn from the largest, direct fired stills in Speyside. It was licensed in 1836 under Robert Hay and bought in 1865 by John Grant for 511 pounds. Its spirit is matured almost wholly in sherry butts brought up from Jerez.

Distilled to a rich, generous cut, giving a deep, full bodied Speyside spirit. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak gentle behind the spirit. In the oxidative, evaporative years the spirit concentrates to dried fruit, dark chocolate and a waxy, resinous depth. Active wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt. 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. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time.

At an approachable 43% it is soft and fruity. A deep, dark sweetness, lifted by a sweet oak. Dried fruit and a treacle sit behind the spice. The finish is rounded, dark and spiced. This is a rich Speyside malt of dried fruit and nut.