Glenfarclas The Family Casks 32 Years Old 1986 Cask #4335

A distillery release of Glenfarclas, a 32 year old, from 1986, cask 4335, at 55%, 219 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt drawn from the largest, direct fired stills in Speyside. Direct firing chars the wash a little, lending the rich, nutty depth Glenfarclas is known for. Its slow, cool dunnage maturation loses very little to the angels each year.

It was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for the rich, sherried make Glenfarclas is known for. Maturation came in an Oloroso sherry cask, layered over the full Glenfarclas make. At a great, fragile age oxidation rules, sotolon lending maple and dried fig as beeswax and old leather linger. Maturation runs slow and even in the dunnage warehouses at Ballindalloch. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and a soft coconut over the fruit. The full bodied spirit takes active sherry wood well, carrying its dark sugars through the years.

At 55%, undiluted, it is dark and full. Orange, raisin and a treacle edge, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A baked apple and a warm cinnamon lift the middle. A deep finish ends on dried fruit and a dark chocolate. This is a deep, sherried Speyside single malt.