Glenfarclas Christmas Edition 25 Years Old 1991

A 25 year old Glenfarclas, a distillery bottling, from 1991, cask 10859,10861,10955-56, at 46%, 1200 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a richly sherried Speyside single malt, run by the Grant family since 1865. Its six stills are the largest in Speyside and among the very few still fired directly, now by gas. Its spirit is matured almost wholly in sherry butts brought up from Jerez. Its water rises from the granite of Ben Rinnes, above the distillery at Ballindalloch. Its whiskies are bottled at their natural colour, without chill filtration.

Distilled in copper pot stills, giving a deep, full bodied Speyside spirit. Maturation came in an Oloroso sherry cask, layered over the full Glenfarclas make. Through the evaporative decades the esters fold into raisin, fig, beeswax and a bittersweet chocolate. Active wood drives the maturation, the cask deep in the malt.

Bottled at 46%, it is rounded and full. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. A deep finish ends on dried fruit and a dark chocolate. This is Glenfarclas's deep, fruity Speyside style.