We’ve been hungering this moment since long time. Now, finally, without frills and foreplay, here we are with the review of a 40 yo Glenfarclas, bottled in 2010. The colour is a deep, dark copper.
N: after 40 years in a cask, all you need is just a little additional patience, because this sherry monster requires some minutes to open up. At the beginning, the rubber notes are quite intense, but they slowly fade away. We’re suddenly impressed by a dense complexity: vermouth notes, something balsamic (rhubarb), spices, red fruits (cherries under spirits riding like a wave, apple peel, orange peel… glorious!). Pipe tobacco is also noticeable. Little by little it is outlined the silhouette of a wild berries tart, with a crunchy and biscuity sweetness of vanilla. Damp and stale oak notes in the background. Mon Cheri praline. Dashes of nail-polish remover and eucalyptus. It’s really deep, almost awe-inspiring. Stunning chocolate, even something smoky.
P: cherry bombs and nutmeg shrapnels. As scripted, there’s an impressive amount of red fruits (what a show!), whose sweetness is balanced by that damp, bitter wood. Cigar smoke, tobacco leaves: it’s also a bit peppery. Dark chocolate. Meanwhile, the sweetness literally blows up, but the oak doesn’t yield an inch. Anyway, it’s never too bitter, but pefectly integrated, with those herbal and menthol notes found in the nose.
F: the almost smoked notes are striking. Cigar, indeed. And a neverending cherry fruitness. Bitter chocolate, coffee, wood and best regards to everyone.
Old sherried whiskies’ lovers can’t ask for more. Sipping this Glenfarclas is a rather intimidating experience, due to the extreme complexity of the spirit. The burden of the years and the long interaction between whisky and cask make us think: after all, you feel more alive and at peace with the world (that in an old Italian song by Jimmy Fontana “never stopped a minute”) with a dram of Glenfarclas 40 yo in your hand. 92/100.
Recommended soundtrack: B.B. King – Happy birthday blues.
