Bottle Details
SMWS Code
1.279
Distillery
Glenfarclas
ABV
63.1%
Age
11 Years
Cask
Ex-Bourbon Hogshead, 1st Fill Spanish Oak Oloroso Hogshead
Vintage
2011
Region
Speyside
Flavor Profile
Deep, Rich & Dried Fruits
Category
Scotch
The whisky presents poached apples and pears steeped in dry oloroso sherry, accompanied by crushed digestive biscuits, marzipan, and date syrup over Christmas cake. Spiced plums, pomegranate molasses, and freshly brewed espresso complete the aromatic profile. Water opening reveals tinned peaches, cocoa powder, sticky dark fruits in armagnac, balsamic glaze, and pickled walnuts with a subtle miso-like umami undertone.
The palate presents a drying, appetising tannic structure with warming chilli heat and prickly dark fruits layered over hardwood resins and natural tar. Salted liquorice and herbal toothpaste notes provide background complexity. Upon reduction, the texture becomes richer and softer, revealing pipe tobacco, green walnut wine, and dark chocolate with sea salt alongside enhanced sweetness.
The finish lingers with the interplay of oak tannins and residual dark fruit sweetness, leaving a pleasant warming sensation with subtle herbal and saline notes that gradually fade.
Initial nosing suggested apples and pears poached in dry oloroso sherry, plus crushed digestive biscuits, marzipan and date syrup drizzled over a boozy slice of Christmas cake. We also found some spiced plums, pomegranate molasses and freshly brewed espresso. Water brought tinned peaches, cocoa powder, sticky dark fruits in armagnac, balsamic glaze and pickled walnuts, with a wee miso-style umami note to balance things out. The neat palate had a nicely drying, appetising tannic edge, with warming chilli heat, prickly dark fruits, hardwood resins and natural tar extracts, with salted liquorice and herbal toothpaste notes in the background. Reduction brought a wonderfully rich texture to the mouth, softer dark fruit flavours, more sweetness, pipe tobacco, green walnut wine and dark chocolate with sea salt. Matured for eight years in a bourbon hogshead, this was then transferred to a first fill Spanish oak oloroso hogshead.