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Whisky
Tasting Journey: November 2006
By Brett
Calish
Glenfarclas
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Still independently
owned, the Glenfarclas distillery is
only now starting to get recognition in
the American market. Amazing,
considering how long they have been
producing quality whisky. Having won a
Distillery of the Year award in 2006,
they won’t be overlooked any longer. On
the whole, Glenfarclas produces complex
whiskies with a clean sherry character.
And there’s a whole range to suit almost
any mood.
Here’s a few:
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Glenfarclas 12: A light nose;
malty; minty; fresh. A mild,
slightly oily body; young, but
without that “tequila” aldehyde
taste that can sometimes mar other
young whiskies. A light sherry
finish, I found it shorter than my
co-tasters did. An excellent
“straight-ahead” malt. |
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Glenfarclas 17: Where to start!
A very complex nose with nougat,
honey, peaches, sherry, and chocolate. A nice clean
body that’s by turns dry and sweet.
A finish that is warm and lingering,
with hints of peach pits and toasted
almonds. One of our all-time
favorites. |
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Glenfarclas 21: A “candy-sweet”
nose, with light smoke, more sherry,
malt, and oak.
We found the 21 to have a slightly
bigger body than the 17, with a
finish of oranges and a little heat,
which made it seem somehow
younger than the 17. Crazy, we know,
but it was interesting. |
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Glenfarclas 25: A big fruity
nose (raspberries?), with
peppermints, vanilla, an
underpinning of hay. A
medium-to-large body, with
bittersweet
chocolate on the palate. The finish
is long and lingering, and
somehow reminded me of dandelion
wine. This is a whisky that “oozes”
maturity. Super!
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Glenfarclas105 (no age
statement): Cask strength. A nose of
maple syrup and fresh
butter; with water, the nose
opens-up with a youthful floral
freshness.
A nice full body, with ripe bananas
dancing on the palate. A medium-to-long finish, which perfectly
complements this elegant whisky.
I can be reached at
brett@whiskyguild.com |
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