Glenfarclas 12 Years Old (Personally Selected for The Lorne Scots)

This was a birthday gift from over a year ago, and is the last heel left in the bottle (so it's been open for a very long time). I believe this may be a bottling specific to Ontario, a 12 year old commemorating the Lorne Scots regiment, which was created in 1936 by amalgamating the 36th Peel Battalion with the 20th Halton Battalion, infantry regiments dating back to the war of 1812. Those battalions were gazetted in 1866, so this 2016 bottling honours their sesquicentennial. I don't know how many bottles were produced, nor how the casks were selected.

The colour is a deep gold. Deliciously malty on the nose, with red apple, sweet caramel, toasted oak, vanilla and nougat. Quite fruity with plums, sultanas and raspberry. Puff pastry. Fermenting washbacks. Heather in a herb garden on a spring morning. A drop of water brings out Southern-style herbed biscuits. Beautifully done.

Honeyed on the palate with clotted cream, buttered croissant, lemon pith and mango skins. Sourdough. White pepper. A sweet maltiness runs throughout. The sherry influence is much more subtle here than a lot of Glenfarclas I've tried before. Exquisite and very enjoyable, if a touch too light.

The finish is mildly oaky with gentle spice, dark honey and milk chocolate. Perhaps there is some bourbon casks involved here, as the sherry is much lighter than usual with this distillery. Light and crisp, it's perfect for a sunny spring morning.

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