Glenfarclas Limited Rare Bottling 12 Years Old 1990

This official Glenfarclas, a 12 year old, from 1990, at 46%, 800 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt, the house behind the pioneering 105 cask strength. Its whiskies are bottled at their natural colour, without chill filtration. Its spirit is matured almost wholly in sherry butts brought up from Jerez. It was licensed in 1836 under Robert Hay and bought in 1865 by John Grant for 511 pounds. It has been run by six generations of the Grant family, one of Scotch whisky's last truly independent houses.

It was run slowly off the spirit still, for a weighty, nutty spirit the sherry then deepens. An Oloroso sherry cask held it, drawing the rich spirit on over the years. By the integrating teens the raw notes fade and esters build, the rich spirit growing rounder and darker. The cool, slow dunnage ageing loses little to evaporation, the spirit holding its depth.

At 46% it is rich, fruity and deep. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath it run dried fruit, dark sugar and a warm spice. Dried fruit, spice and a soft oak see it out. This is a deep, sherried Speyside single malt.