Glenfarclas The Family Casks 29 Years Old 1977

Glenfarclas from the distillery, a 29 year old, from 1977, cask 61, at 59%, 582 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt matured almost wholly in sherry casks from Jerez. It draws on that deep inventory for the Family Casks, single vintages reaching back to the 1950s. It launched the 105 in 1968, one of the first cask strength single malts sold to the public.

The spirit was drawn from a thick, heavy wash, shaping a rich Speyside body with real weight. It was fully matured in an Oloroso sherry cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. Through the evaporative decades the esters fold into raisin, fig, beeswax and a bittersweet chocolate. Years in oak deepen the spirit to a darker gold, the body growing rounder and more resinous with time. The full bodied spirit takes active sherry wood well, carrying its dark sugars through the years.

At 59%, undiluted, it is dark and full. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath it run dried fruit, dark sugar and a warm spice. The finish is rounded, dark and spiced. This is a rich Speyside malt of dried fruit and nut.