Glenfarclas Millenium 1999 #7512, J & G Grant Highland Single Malt Whisky 50%

Somewhere in a warehouse in Ballindalloch, cask 664 spent more than fifteen years doing nothing at all. The sherry had been emptied out long before the spirit went in, but the wood still remembered it. When the cask was finally drained in November 2024, there was enough for 237 bottles, and every one of them went to Denmark.

The Expert's Description

Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664 is a Speyside Single Malt Whisky matured in a 1st fill sherry cask and bottled at a natural cask strength of 59.9%.

Nothing else went into it. No other casks were vatted in, and nobody adjusted it to match a house style. The cask was filled in 2008 and bottled on 7 November 2024 as a Special Release made specifically for the Danish market. It gave 237 bottles. Once they are gone, that is the end of it.

A 1st fill cask is one that held sherry and is being used for Scotch whisky for the first time. That makes it the most active cask there is, and after more than 15 years it has pushed a lot of colour, sweetness and dried fruit into the spirit. You see it in the glass before you taste it. The distillery does not say which style of sherry the cask held.

The bottle comes from J. & G. Grant. The Grant family bought Glenfarclas in 1865 and still owns it, which is getting rare in Scotland. Water comes from springs on Ben Rinnes, and the spirit is double distilled in copper stills heated by gas flames right under the base. That gives a heavy, oily new make that can handle a long stay in an active sherry cask without being buried by the wood. It is non-chill filtered, so whatever the cask gave it is still in the bottle.

Tasting Notes

Nose

Raisins and figs up front, with caramel and candied orange peel close behind. Give it a few minutes and roasted nuts start to come through, along with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Palate

Big and full, as you would expect at close to 60%. Prunes and dark chocolate, a shot of espresso, burnt sugar, with spiced oak running underneath.

Finish

Long and warming. Cocoa and dried fruit hang on with the spice, and right at the end a fresh streak of orange peel lifts the whole thing.

Specifications

Name: Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664
Distillery: Glenfarclas
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Whisky
ABV: 59.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: 1st fill sherry cask, cask no. 664
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Distillation method: Double distilled in direct-fired copper stills
Distilled: 2008
Bottled: 7 November 2024
Number of bottles: 237
Edition: Special Release, Specially Bottled for Denmark

Flavour Profile

Sherry-matured · Cask strength · Dried fruit · Dark chocolate · Spicy

Investment Potential

Medium to high. One cask, 237 bottles and a release for a single country. Glenfarclas single casks have a loyal following among collectors, and a bottling that will never be repeated rarely gets easier to find as the years go by.

Did You Know?

In 2007 Glenfarclas launched The Family Casks, a run of 43 single cask bottlings with one cask from every single year between 1952 and 1994. The range has since grown with younger vintages, while the 1952 and 1953 stock ran out long ago. Cask 664 is not part of that series, but it comes from the same habit of letting one cask speak for itself.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664

What does Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664 taste like?

It tastes dark and dense with sherry, full of raisins, figs, prunes and dark chocolate. Under the fruit there is espresso, burnt sugar and spiced oak. The finish is long, with cocoa and a fresh note of orange peel at the very end.

Is Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664 worth the money?

Yes, if sherried whisky at cask strength is what you are after. It comes from a single 1st fill sherry cask that gave only 237 bottles, all of them for Denmark. On top of that, the distillery has been in the same family since 1865 and built its name on sherry casks.

Should you add water to Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664?

Taste it neat first, then try a few drops of water. At 59.9% the alcohol is strong enough that a little water usually opens up more fruit and spice. Read more about why whisky is bottled at different strengths.

What food goes with Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664?

It works with dark chocolate cake, walnut tart and dried figs. Strong cheeses like Stilton or an aged Gouda can stand up to it too. A tulip-shaped glass suits it best, for example one from our range of whisky glasses.

What does 1st fill sherry cask mean?

It means the cask previously held sherry and is being used for Scotch whisky for the first time. It still has plenty of sherry and wood to give, which is where the dark colour and dense fruit come from. Want to know more? Read our article on sherry casks.

Can you keep Glenfarclas 2008 Single Cask #664 in a collection?

Yes, as long as the bottle is stored upright, in the dark and at a steady temperature. Whisky does not change in the bottle, so it will taste the same in ten years. An opened bottle keeps well for about a year if there is not too much air in it.

Why does the label say Highland when Glenfarclas is in Speyside?

Because Speyside is formally part of the Highland region. Glenfarclas sits in Ballindalloch in the middle of Speyside, but has chosen to keep the older, broader name on its labels.