Glenfarclas The Family Casks 20 Years Old 2000

This official Glenfarclas, a 20 year old, from 2000, cask 4084, at 53.7%, 616 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt matured almost wholly in sherry casks from Jerez. Its whiskies are bottled at their natural colour, without chill filtration.

Taken gently through wash and spirit stills, building a deep malt of dried fruit and dark sugar. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the full character to the fore. Into oxidative maturity, slow air builds ripe esters and a darker chocolate, fig and date depth. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body. 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. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time.

At a hearty 53.7% it carries real weight. Baked apple, honey and a dark chocolate, lifted by a sweet oak. It is full and fruity, the spirit carrying the cask. A deep finish ends on dried fruit and a dark chocolate. This is a Speyside single malt of real standing.