Glenfarclas 25 year old Single Highland Malt Whisky 46%

Twenty-five years is where the coffee arrives. Not as an addition, but as something that emerges on its own once sherry cask and time have worked together long enough — and at Glenfarclas it comes alongside orange marmalade and sweet smoke.

The expert's description

Glenfarclas 25 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in sherry casks and bottled at 43%.

The 43% may look low for a twenty-five year old, but it is a deliberate choice. After that many years in sherry casks the whisky is already concentrated, and a higher strength would make it hard rather than elegant. The balance between the sherry and the alcohol is the whole point of this bottling.

Glenfarclas can offer a continuous ladder from ten to forty years, which few family-owned distilleries can. It is because several generations have held back from selling the old casks off — something that requires being able to do without the income in the short term.

Tasting notes

Nose

Delicate sweet smoke, orange marmalade and honey, with freshly ground coffee, sherry and nuts over a base of aged wood.

Palate

Robust and full with great body. Sweet smoke and nuts, with a fine balance between the sherry casks and the alcohol. Dark chocolate settles at the back of the mouth.

Finish

Intense and long. Dry, malty, nutty and lightly smoky, with a dark chocolate note that lingers well afterwards.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 25 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky 43%
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 25 years
ABV: 43%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry casks
EAN no.: 5018066254317

Flavour profile

Sherried · Nutty · Coffee · Lightly smoky · Full

Investment potential

Medium. A twenty-five year old from a family-owned distillery that owns its own old stock is not a bottle produced in large volumes. Glenfarclas has kept its older age statements in the range, but the quantities shrink as the casks empty.

Did you know?

Glenfarclas can offer an unbroken age ladder from ten to forty years because the family has let the old casks stand over generations. It is a luxury few distilleries have, and it cannot be built up in a short time.

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Frequently asked questions about Glenfarclas 25 Year Old

Is it worth the money?

Judge it on the age and on where it comes from. Twenty-five years in sherry casks from a distillery that owns its own old stock and has not had to buy it in is a different kind of bottle from a comparable age assembled from purchased casks. The coffee and chocolate notes are something time has created.

Why only 43% on a 25 year old?

Because after twenty-five years in sherry casks the whisky is already concentrated. A higher strength would push it towards hard and sharp, where 43% lets the sherry and the alcohol balance. It is a choice, not a saving.

How does it taste compared with the 15 year old?

Considerably deeper and more complex. The 15 has nuts and dried fruit, while the 25 has picked up coffee, orange marmalade and dark chocolate on top, and the smoke has softened. It is the same family ten years further on.

Is there smoke in it?

A sweet, soft smoke note that comes from the direct firing under the stills. Glenfarclas uses unpeated barley, so there is no peat smoke. After twenty-five years the note has grown rounder than in the younger releases. See the other Scottish styles in our Scotch Whisky selection.

How is it best enjoyed?

Neat, at room temperature, and with plenty of time. Give it at least fifteen minutes in the glass — the coffee and chocolate notes only emerge once the whisky has had air. Water is not needed at 43% and will flatten it quickly.

Does it work as a gift?

Yes. Twenty-five years from a family-owned distillery is a bottle that gets noticed, and the profile is complex enough for a special occasion without being demanding to drink.

Does it pair with anything in particular?

Try it with dark chocolate or after a cup of coffee. The coffee and chocolate notes in the whisky meet both directly, and the modest strength means it does not take over.