Blind tasting:
A delicious and interesting malt! The sharp, shaped by gunpowder note in the taste and aftertaste takes some getting used to, but gives this bottling a special character and makes me this malt. The nose is extremely sweet and goes in the direction of "Schnüffelwhisky". A great and high-contrast whisky, I like it very much!

23/23/22/22 (90P)

Ranking: 1st nose, 2nd mouth, 3rd finish

This Glenfarclas was distilled in 2007 and bottled in early summer 2015 in order to be sold as a bottling at the then 16th Whisky Fall Fair in the Berlin Malzfabrik. It seems that a 1st Fill Sherry Butt and a Refill Sherry Hogshead were married, which would have to add up to the number of bottles of 1024 bottles, since one butt is sufficient for approx. 700 bottles and a hogshead for approx. 350 bottles. With 60% alcohol, the Glenfarclas is a bit too heavy for me, but I'll still try it undiluted and see how the whisky will present itself in the mouth. In any case, the color knows how to inspire. The whisky lies in the glass like a dark amber with a light red-brownish copper tone. It's been a few years since I bought this bottle at the fair and now it's finally time to try this whisky.

In the nose I am greeted by a wonderful forest honey sweetness, the honey initially surrounds light fruits such as juicy peaches, overripe pears and juice oranges. The fruitiness is accompanied by some cocoa powder, hazelnuts, some black pepper and wonderful meadow herbs. Citrus notes come out again and again with a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon and a little grapefruit. I think of vanilla biscuits with apricot filling and caramel sauce. Time and again, other aromas come to the fore, only to be ranked again and another note to take precedence. At this moment, nut chocolate comes to mind (maybe even in the direction of Nutella), the next time I put my nose in the glass, the citrus note is dominant, dark fruits are also noticeable from time to time. But the whisky does not have the depth and heaviness that you know from many "dark soups". A couple of raspberries, unripe strawberries, cherries and tart plums, I would say, boiled down to a thick, intense fruit pulp is nothing here. The tart notes form a good counterpoint to the fruitiness and sweetness. It all fits together quite well, but I notice that I just lack the age here. If I had to talk about an oak wood aroma, it would be light wooden beams from the Bauhaus. It lacks depth and the oak wood aromas that can only be achieved through long maturation. But you can't expect that from an 8 year old whisky either. The sour notes are a little too strict for me, otherwise the Glenfarclas knows how to please overall when smelling.

In the mouth, the Glenfarclas is expected to be spicy, aiaiai it burns on the tongue and I quickly realize that I urgently need to dilute it with water. I can't even concentrate on the individual aromas, undiluted it is not enjoyable for me. There are whiskys that are still reasonably pleasant in the mouth at 60%. This Glenfarclas is definitely not one of them. Diluted with water, dark fruits and a wonderful sweetness initially occupy the mouth and are supplemented by increasingly stronger herbs. Then the pepper comes and rolls across my tongue again, the whisky is too hot for me even when diluted. Liquorice joins the pepper, the herbs become more and more intense and the fruits are now gradually pushed far into the background. Of the sweetness, however, a little caramel sweetness remains in the mouth, now the fruit shines through again a little, but is repeatedly displaced by the spiciness and the tannins. It gets a little drier in the mouth, but everything is still within a pleasant framework. A very subtle touch (really just a touch!) Of bitterness is noticeable, which in combination with the dryness reminds a little of the mouthfeel after chewing walnuts. Malty sweetness and dark chocolate cover parts of the mouth. The pepperiness is too strong for me, the fruits have disappeared a little too quickly, but the tart notes in combination with the remnants of the sweetness are delicious.

The finish is medium-long with pepper, herbs, liquorice, the dark chocolate now tends more towards espresso and the dryness becomes more intense with every sip. The fruitiness that was believed to be lost now comes out a little with traces of raisins and plums. The sweetness also bravely stays in the background and does not leave the mouth completely, which I very much welcome. The oak wood is now a little more noticeable, the light wooden beams from the smell fortunately tend towards dry forest floor and somewhat older wood. I can perceive hints of tobacco.

Overall, this is a solid whisky. 8 years old, I paid around 80 euros, I just wanted to take this fair bottling with me for the price and I definitely don't regret it. Overall, the whisky is not balanced and mature enough for me, it is too boisterous and you can tell that all the aromas have simply not come together optimally here. Even alcohol has not yet found its right place. But that's complaining on a comparatively high level. For the price you get a strong Glenfarclas that might be a little overwhelming for beginners. But it also has more rough edges, is intense and strong and that makes it much more interesting for me than a 21 Glenfarclas from the standard range.

I got a good 87/100 points today with a tendency to 88 points.

Fruity and strong.
It smells older than it is.
But there is also a nice wood note,
Associated with a little spice.

Very strong in the mouth, really massive.
The barrel more and more intense
The fruit evaporates.

I add a drop of water.
Now vanilla, pure oak.
More aromatic than before.

Pretty good.

Very cool. I found it totally crazy and I would have estimated the blind much older. Top. This is how I enjoy Glenfarclas!

A sophisticated version of the 105. Very intense with nice sherry notes.
Very pleasant whisky.