Glenfarclas 15 år Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%

No finish. No port casks, no wine casks, no detour. Glenfarclas has built its whole range on sherry casks alone, and the 15 year old is where that decision pays out most.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 46%.

The 46% is higher than in both the 10 and the 12 year old, and that is no accident. Fifteen years in sherry casks builds a depth that a low bottling strength would have flattened, and the extra three percentage points keep both the sweetness and the spice in place.

For many people the 15 year old is the point where Glenfarclas stops being an everyday whisky and becomes something you reach for deliberately. The sherry is still recognisable from the younger releases, but it has been joined by roasted nuts, dates and a texture that is clearly fuller.

Tasting notes

Nose

Complex sherry notes with a touch of understated smoke, cream caramel and a small hint of dried fruits such as dates and figs.

Palate

Great body with elegant balance. Plenty of sweetness from the sherry casks, malty tones, roasted nuts and a light smoke that sits beneath the fruit rather than on top of it.

Finish

Long and lingering with lavish sweetness, light smoke and plenty of complexity.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 15 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 46%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
EAN no.: 5018066154617

Flavour profile

Sherried · Nutty · Dried fruit · Lightly smoky · Full

Did you know?

Glenfarclas does not use cask finishes in its core range. Where most distilleries today round their whisky off in port, wine or rum casks, Glenfarclas has held on to sherry casks alone from fill to bottling.

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Frequently asked questions about Glenfarclas 15 Year Old

What do the fifteen years do compared with the 12 year old?

The sherry gets time to move from spice to depth. The 12 is fresh and light, while the 15 has cream caramel, dates and roasted nuts, and the texture is markedly fuller. The 46% against 43% amplifies the difference.

Why does Glenfarclas not use cask finishes?

Because the house style is built on sherry alone. A finish in port or wine casks would lay a layer on top, and the distillery has chosen to let the sherry stand without competition. It is an unusually consistent line at a time when most are experimenting.

Is there smoke in it?

An understated smoke note that comes from the direct firing under the stills. Glenfarclas uses unpeated barley, so there is no peat smoke in the whisky. See the other Scottish styles in our Scotch Whisky selection.

How is it best enjoyed?

Neat, at room temperature, and with time. Give it ten minutes in the glass — the sherry and the nuts only unfold once the whisky has had air. At 46% water is rarely necessary.

Is it worth it compared with the 12 year old?

That depends on what you want. If you want an everyday whisky, the 12 does the job. If you want the depth and the fuller texture that fifteen years in sherry casks gives, the step up is a real difference and not just a higher number.

Does it work with food?

It performs well after a meal with roasted nuts, dates or dark chocolate. The nut and date notes in the whisky meet the food directly and pull the same way.

How is it best stored?

Upright, dark and cool. At 46% the whisky is robust against air, but drink the last third within a year or so if you want the fullest version of the texture.