Distillery

Glenfarclas whiskies

Glenfarclas is a Speyside distillery in Ballindalloch, at the foot of Ben Rinnes, and one of the few that have been owned by the same family since the 19th century. It is a benchmark for sherried whisky and is known for heating its stills by direct gas fire, something rare today. Its rich, full-bodied malt has a large following among those seeking tradition and a good balance between age and price.

Founded
1836
Owner
J. & G. Grant
Origin
Speyside, Scotland
In the catalogue
8 whiskies

History, style and where to startSee it on the world mapGlenfarclas official website

  • Glenfarclas distillery, photo 1 of 3
    Photo: Lungfish83 at English Wikipedia · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Glenfarclas distillery, photo 2 of 3
    Photo: Andrew Abbott · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)
  • Glenfarclas distillery, photo 3 of 3
    Photo: Andrew Abbott · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons (cropped and converted)

8 whiskies

Guide to Glenfarclas

History

The distillery obtained its licence in the 1830s, and in 1865 it was bought by John Grant, a local farmer. It has been in the hands of the Grant family ever since, now in its sixth generation, with no ties to big groups, something very rare in Scotland. That independence has made it possible to keep traditional methods and a large reserve of old casks, with which the house launched a vintage collection covering many decades. It was also a pioneer in bottling malt at cask strength, with its well-known 105 version. For decades many of its young malts were a well-kept secret among those seeking sherry at a good price.

House style

Glenfarclas’s style is rich and rounded: dried fruit, raisins, toffee, spice, chocolate and a malty background. The house matures in oloroso sherry casks, mostly refill, which give an integrated, elegant sherry. The direct-fired stills bring body and toasty notes. It uses no peat. The range of ages is wide and each step gains depth.

Average flavour profile of its 8 whiskies in the catalogue

Sweet
2.8
Fresh fruit
1.6
Ripe and dried fruit
3.2
Floral and herbal
0.5
Cereal and malt
1.6
Vanilla and creamy
1.3
Oak
2.4
Spicy
2.4
Toasted
2.3
Smoky
0.2
Maritime
0.0
Body and intensity
2.9

Where to start

Glenfarclas 10 Year Old is a good introduction to the house style, and the 12-year-old gains body and dried fruit. The 15-year-old is one of the most balanced sherried Speysides. If you like powerful whiskies, the 105 is bottled at cask strength, so it’s worth trying with a few drops of water.

This text was generated and translated by AI and may contain errors. Founding year, owner and official website come partly from Wikidata.

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