This Glenfarclas of the Limited Rare Bottling range from 1993 was bottled in April 2013 when it was 19 years old. A total of 15 Oloroso sherry barrels were married, all of which were filled in 1993. This bottle has been on my shelf for many years and I can still remember that it was a bottling from the Limited Rare Bottling range that sparked my love for sherry barrel-aged whiskys about 10 years ago. Of course, I had completely different demands on a whisky back then and by then I had tried maybe 5-7 different single malts. So I'm all the more curious to see how I like the whisky today, after I was able to try many different bottlings in recent years and my whisky horizon has been significantly expanded compared to before. But it has to be said that in my opinion there are clear differences between the individual bottlings in the range. Unfortunately, I can't remember which bottling I was so enthusiastic about back then ... well that's another reason why I started writing the tasting notes. I do this primarily for myself so that in a few years I will still know what I had in my glass and how I liked the whisky. With 46% alcohol content, this whisky has a great drinking strength that should not overwhelm even beginners. With a color like really dark amber, it has been waiting in my glass for a quarter of an hour.
The Glenfarclas is reserved on the nose. Sweet fruit flavors come from the glass with oranges, lemon peel, peaches, grapes and chocolate-coated raisins. The chocolate note is clearly noticeable and dampens the sour citrus note a little. In combination with nutty flavors, I think of chocolate with whole hazelnuts. Everything is covered with a little honey and wrapped in a cloud of herbal notes, spices and oak wood. The chocolate gets darker after a short time and the sour citrus note manages to push itself too much into the foreground. Well, I found yesterday's 8 year old Glenfarclas (whisky autumn fair bottling) much more exciting in terms of smell.
In the mouth, the whisky tingles all over the mouth, I would not have expected that with 46% alcohol content. The whisky is really peppery and spicy until a wonderful and almost syrupy sweetness and fruitiness cover the inside of the cheeks ... mhhhh, delicious! Now dates are also included. The alcohol content is very good here. I tend to be more in the direction of 50% ABV, but that would probably have become too sharp in the mouth. With the second sip, the spiciness and the bitter notes are clearly more present. Lots of pepper, dark chocolate, which may already be tending towards coffee, and hazelnuts, which are now tending towards walnuts. The mouth is now also a little drier, but everything is still within a comfortable range for me. I have a slightly waxy feeling in my mouth, which I find very pleasant. In the mouth it surprised me this time, because I find it stronger than the smell.
The finish is medium long and dominated by the tannins. Liquorice is becoming more and more present, the pepper has been buzzing around in the mouth since the first sip, dark chocolate, coffee, aniseed and somewhat dry forest floor are added. The mouth is now clearly drier, now it is almost a little too much for me. In the background you can still feel citrus notes, aftertaste of raisins and a slight sweetness, but the main roles have long been assigned to the spicy and bitter aromas.
Overall, that's a good whisky. I wouldn't pour this to anyone who hasn't had any contact with whisky, the start is simply too hot for that. For the price I paid back then (I think around 65 euros), you get a great whisky. In the nose I would have liked a little more intensity, in the mouth the Glenfarclas was peppery but very tasty. The dryness in the finish was a bit too much of a good thing for me personally, but in summary I can only say: The whisky was definitely worth the price at the time and every penny of it! Compared to the Glenfarclas Limited Rare Bottling 1995 (currently rated 85 points by me), I definitely think this 1993 is better. Today I see that the cheapest offer in the base is 180 euros and I have to say very clearly that I get significantly better whiskys for this money.
Yesterday's Glenfarclas 2007 (Whisky Herbst-Messebottling) got a good 87 points with a tendency to 88 points. This Glenfarclas can't quite keep up and gets 86/100 points from me with a tendency to 87 points.
