Glenfarclas The Family Casks 17 Years Old 2006

A 17 year old Glenfarclas, a distillery bottling, from 2006, cask 2528, at 58%, 600 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a richly sherried Speyside single malt, run by the Grant family since 1865. Its whiskies are bottled at their natural colour, without chill filtration. It was licensed in 1836 under Robert Hay and bought in 1865 by John Grant for 511 pounds.

It was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, building a deep malt of dried fruit and dark sugar. Maturation came in an Oloroso sherry cask, layered over the full Glenfarclas make. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds ripe esters and a darker chocolate, fig and date depth. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. The cool, slow dunnage ageing loses little to evaporation, the spirit holding its depth. Maturation runs slow and even in the dunnage warehouses at Ballindalloch.

At a natural 58% it is full and rich. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. The finish is long, rich and spiced. This is Glenfarclas's deep, fruity Speyside style.