Glenfarclas The Family Casks 53 Years Old 1960

A 53 year old Glenfarclas, a distillery bottling, from 1960, cask 1770, at 42.3%, 166 bottles in all. Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt, one of the last great family owned distilleries in Scotch. Its spirit is matured almost wholly in sherry butts brought up from Jerez. It has been run by six generations of the Grant family, one of Scotch whisky's last truly independent houses.

It was taken gently through wash and spirit stills, for a weighty, nutty spirit the sherry then deepens. It was matured in an Oloroso sherry cask, the wood working deep into the malt. 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. Long ageing turns the fresh notes towards date, prune and a dark, bittersweet chocolate. The cool, slow dunnage ageing loses little to evaporation, the spirit holding its depth.

Reduced to 42.3%, it is mellow and sweet. A rich orchard sweetness and dark sugar, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. The mouthfeel is full and coating, the fruit dark and sweet. It finishes long, full and fruity. This is a rich Speyside malt of dried fruit and nut.