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Glenfarclas 15 Year Old

Delayed Gratification

11 590

@OdysseusUnboundReview by @OdysseusUnbound

23rd Oct 2019

0

  • Nose
    23
  • Taste
    22
  • Finish
    22
  • Balance
    23
  • Overall
    90

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

I recently purchased a bottle of Glenfarclas 15 Year Old and I was going to open it when I found a sample I'd completely forgotten about. This sample is from a 2016 bottling of Glenfarclas 15 Year Old graciously provided by @fiddich1980

This sample, while a few years older than my bottling, gives me an idea of what I can expect and allows me to delay the gratification of opening a "new" bottle of whisky a bit longer.

Tasting notes

  • Nose (undiluted): sultana raisins, walnuts, fresh pipe tobacco, cranberries, oak spices (particularly cloves), a touch of hibiscus. The aromas are engaging, evolving, layered and complex. I perceive no sulphur at all. Huzzah !!
  • Palate (undiluted): medium bodied, green grapes, honey, raisins, cranberries, buttered fruitcake, cooked barley, a bit of dark chocolate, and a slight hint of smokiness
  • Finish: vanilla, oak spices (nutmeg more than cloves), more sultanas, barley, a weak Earl Grey tea note (is it pretentious to say bergamot?) lingers alongside a touch of smoke.

With water, the fresh green grape aromas pop out of the glass alongside some sherry notes. There are definitely some nutty notes as well as honey wafting out of the glass. The smoke is slightly more prominent, but we aren’t talking Laphroaiggian levels here. The palate is more buttery and fruity, and less cakey with water. The finish reveals icing sugar, vanilla frosting and a touch of orange zest bitterness with water. This is tasty both ways, but I prefer it neat.

While this is bottled at 46% abv, it is no bruiser. I wouldn't call it a sherry bomb either. The sherry influence is obvious but not overwhelming. The spirit's character isn't buried beneath oodles of sherry, which suits me to a "T". I've heard many people say that this is their favourite affordable Glenfarclas, and it's easy to see why. Glenfarclas 15 delivers the goods.

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5 comments

@RianC
RianC commented

@OdysseusUnbound - Nice review and reminds me of my own experience. The only thing that has put me off re-buying is that batch variation is supposed to be a large factor (not with just the 15 either, I suspect) so I hope that your full bottle is as good as this one!

4 years ago 1Who liked this?

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@OdysseusUnbound My bottle of the current batch shows no hint of sulphur and is exactly as you describe in your review. My experience over the course of at least six or seven bottles has been that this is quite consistent. The sweet spot in the Glenfarclas lineup IMHO.

4 years ago 2Who liked this?

@OdysseusUnbound
OdysseusUnbound commented

@BlueNote I’ve got my fingers crossed that my bottle is as good as this sample. But I won’t be ready to open it for awhile....

4 years ago 1Who liked this?

@casualtorture
casualtorture commented

This is one of my favorite whiskies. Wish they sold it to us in the states.

4 years ago 1Who liked this?

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