Glenfarclas Premium Edition 11 Years Old 2007

A distillery release of Glenfarclas, an 11 year old, from 2007, at 46%. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt, one of the last great family owned distilleries in Scotch. Its slow, cool dunnage maturation loses very little to the angels each year. It launched the 105 in 1968, one of the first cask strength single malts sold to the public. Its six stills are the largest in Speyside and among the very few still fired directly, now by gas.

It was drawn from a thick, heavy wash, for a weighty, nutty spirit the sherry then deepens. An Oloroso sherry cask held it, drawing the rich spirit on over the years. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin rounding out as esters lend riper orchard fruit and a chocolate depth. The full spirit deepens with time, the cask drawing out its darker register. Maturation runs slow and even in the dunnage warehouses at Ballindalloch.

Bottled at 46%, it is rounded and full. A rich, sherried sweetness, 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.