Glenfarclas has just celebrated 150 years as a working distillery.  That’s quite an achievement.  What makes this even more remarkable is that the company has been family-owned its entire existence.  John Grant bought the distillery in 1865.  His grandsons, John and George, formed the company J & G Grant.  Fifth generation family member John L.S. Grant is chairman of the company, and his son George S. Grant serves as brand ambassador.

This post kicks off a vertical tasting of three different Glenfarclas expressions – the 12 year old, 17 year old & 21 year old, starting with the 12 year.  Glenfarclas is a Speyside single malt Scotch whisky.  I’ve heard of but haven’t tasted whisky from this distillery before.  It’s been described to me as a sherry bomb. 100% of their whisky is matured in sherry casks.  So, if you’re not a fan of sherried whiskies, you’re in the wrong place.

Let’s start off with the nose.  Big sherry!  The sweet fruity aromas burst out of the glass.  Underneath, there’s wood grain, light citrus and smoke.  As with the nose, sherry dominates the palate but is subdued compared to the nose.  The entry is soft and the body is light.  Large notes of creamy toffee, melon, berries, mulled wine are present in the palate, with a touch of oak and smoke in the background.  The fruitiness of the nose and palate continue onto the finish along with a little spiciness, turning dry after a while.

Not bad at all.  Glenfarclas 12 year-old is a full of sweet fruitiness, but remains light.  Even bottled at a slightly higher than average 43% abv, this doesn’t feel like a heavy whisky.  I really like Glenfarclas 12, and at the suggested retail price of $52.99, it’s a steal.