Glenfarclas The Family Casks 28 Years Old 1989

A distillery release of Glenfarclas, a 28 year old, from 1989, cask 4080, at 43.6%, 308 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a richly sherried Speyside single malt, run by the Grant family since 1865. It was licensed in 1836 under Robert Hay and bought in 1865 by John Grant for 511 pounds. 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.

It was drawn from a thick, heavy wash, the direct fired stills lending a nutty depth. It was matured in an Oloroso sherry cask, the wood working deep into the malt. Through the evaporative decades the esters fold into raisin, fig, beeswax and a bittersweet chocolate. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. The full bodied spirit takes active sherry wood well, carrying its dark sugars through the years.

Bottled at a cask strength 43.6%, it is deep and concentrated. Raisin, chocolate and a warm spice, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Fig, honey and a dark chocolate fill the middle. Dried fruit, spice and a soft oak see it out. This is a richly sherried Speyside single malt.