Glenfarclas The Family Casks 31 Years Old 1987

This official Glenfarclas, a 31 year old, from 1987, cask 3831, at 46%, 588 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a deep, dark Speyside malt of dried fruit, nut and spice. It has been run by six generations of the Grant family, one of Scotch whisky's last truly independent houses. Its whiskies are bottled at their natural colour, without chill filtration. Its six stills are the largest in Speyside and among the very few still fired directly, now by gas.

It was distilled in copper pot stills, for a weighty, nutty spirit the sherry then deepens. It was fully matured in an Oloroso sherry cask, the wood deep in the rich spirit. Ethereal and fragile, the decades draw it to a resinous, waxy depth of dried fruit, treacle and old oak. The cool, slow dunnage ageing loses little to evaporation, the spirit holding its depth. The wood frames the spirit without ever stripping the full Speyside body.

At 46% it is smooth and rich. A deep, dark sweetness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The body is full and rich, the fruit deep and dark. A long finish carries raisin, chocolate and a treacle. This is the family sherry malt of Ballindalloch.