Review #329 - Glenfarclas 17 Year
Glenfarclas, one of a dwindling number of family-owned Scottish distilleries, was officially established back in 1836, though its history as an illicit operation stretches another 40 years further back. The Speyside distillery is known for its use of sherry casks for whisky maturation, and they put out a huge range of aged whiskies - everything from 10 years to 40+ years can be found.
The bottle we're reviewing today falls somewhere in the middle of that age range, with 17 years on the label. It was aged in Oloroso sherry casks; we get a strength of 43% ABV.
Glenfarclas 17 Year
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 70 (2023, at auction)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 110 (2024)
Age Statement: 17 Years
Strength: 43% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-Oloroso sherry casks
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 4 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80%, and 70% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: A little bit of alcohol up front, and then several dry notes: sharp fig and prune, white pepper, and some sour malt flavors. There's tart lemon soda and orange adding a citrus side, and before long, herbal and floral notes develop. Occasionally, we found hints of sweet clementine and some umami or sulphury notes. Not much oak influence for the age.
Palate: A medium-thin mouthfeel; there's a bit more polished oak now, as well as some hints of perfume; still relatively drying, with herbal spice, citrus, malt, and more white pepper. Additional baking notes of brown sugar, cinnamon, and syrup-coated pancakes arrive; in terms of fruit, we get savory apples, oranges, and a hint of blackberry. Somewhat mellow overall.
Finish: Medium-short, with both dry fruits and juicy fruits - blood orange, a hint of plum. Cinnamon spice lingers, and there's a soft polish note from the oak. A rounded flavor profile, with buttery texture, and more malty flavors appear in the aftertaste.
Final Note: It's a little hard to place the reason we found this slightly underwhelming - it's fine, not particularly flawed, but it just lacked enthusiasm. The low strength meant that the flavors weren't too punchy, the oak wasn't particularly strong despite the 17 years of aging, and the sherry influence was mild for a whisky with 100% Oloroso maturation.
Value is okay - we found it at auction, where you can get it for a preferential price, but the prices at retail locations are increasing. We could still get it locally for about $110, but we're seeing more stores and websites with costs in the $125 to $140 range.
Our Average Rating: 6.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.18
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Glenfarclas reviews:
Review #293 - SMWS 1.265 'Oma at the Cinema' - Glenfarclas 9 Year
