Glenfarclas 105 Old Version Cask Strength Single Highland Malt Whisky 60%

Tall and slim instead of low and broad. The bottle shape alone says this 105 comes from another time — today’s release arrives in a short, squat bottle, while the older ones were filled into tall bottles.

Please note: There is a white band around the bottle neck and light scratches on the top of the box.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 105 Old Version is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at cask strength 60% in a 75 cl bottle.

The bottling appears to date from the 1980s. The 75 cl was the European standard until 70 cl took over in the early 1990s, and the tall bottle shape was later replaced by the low, broad one Glenfarclas uses today. The whisky carries the white band around the neck.

The contents follow the same idea as the current 105 — sherry-matured Glenfarclas at full strength with no age statement. But spirit from the 1970s and 80s has a reputation for being heavier and oilier than what is made today, and for many collectors that is exactly why the older bottles are interesting.

Tasting notes

Nose

Complex and oaky, with apples, pears and a sweet, dark toffee. There is a dusty depth that older bottles often develop.

Palate

Dry and assertive. It develops quickly to reveal a rich spiciness combined with a hint of oak and sherried fruit. At 60% there is a lot at once, but it is warming rather than sharp.

Finish

Amazingly smooth for the strength. Warming and with a lingering smokiness, yet gathered and round.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 105 Old Version Cask Strength Speyside Single Malt Whisky 60%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 60%
Size: 75 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
Bottled: 1980s
Edition: 105 Old Version - tall bottle with white neck band

Flavour profile

Sherried · Oaky · Spiced · Lightly smoky · Cask Strength

Investment potential

Medium. Both the 75 cl format and the tall bottle left Glenfarclas during the 1990s, and a 105 from the 1980s cannot be made again. Older cask strength bottlings from the distillery are collected precisely because they represent a period when the category was still new.

Did you know?

Glenfarclas runs six pot stills, the largest in Speyside, and they are fired directly with gas rather than heated by steam. It is an approach almost every other distillery has abandoned, and it produces a heavier spirit.

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Frequently asked questions about Glenfarclas 105 Old Version

Is it worth the money?

Judge it on the format and the period. A 105 from the 1980s in a 75 cl bottle with the tall shape comes from a time that is over on all three counts. The whisky itself follows the same idea as today, but spirit from that period has a reputation for being heavier.

How can you tell it is an old release?

Three things. The height of the bottle — newer 105 comes in a low, broad bottle. The 75 cl size, which disappeared from Europe in the early 1990s. And the white band around the neck, which is not used on current releases.

Does old 105 taste different from the current one?

In many people’s view, yes. Spirit from the 1970s and 80s is typically described as heavier and oilier, partly because of changes in the barley and in production. Bear in mind, though, that old bottles can vary from one example to the next.

Should I add water at 60%?

Yes, but move slowly. Taste it neat for a few minutes first — older whisky needs air. Then add a few drops at a time and stop when the fruit steps forward most clearly. See the other Scottish styles in our Scotch Whisky selection.

Why does it carry no age statement?

Because the 105 never has. The range is built around strength and cask type rather than years, and that has been the principle since the first release in 1968.

How should I store a bottle like this?

Upright, dark and cool. On a bottle from the 1980s the cork is the weak point, so check it once a year. If it is to keep its value as a collector bottle, keep the box with it.

Should it be opened or kept?

Both are defensible. Opened, you get Glenfarclas from a period that will not return. Unopened, you hold a bottle in a format and a design that are both gone. It is a genuine trade-off, and there is no wrong answer.