Glenfarclas Family Casks 1962 was distilled in 1962 and bottled in 2011 making it a 48 – 49 year old whisky depending on when it was bottled. The Glenfarclas Distillery is one of only a handful of distilleries in Scotland that are still family owned and the Family Casks releases are a nod to that fact. Though thought process behdin these casks goes a bit deeper and for that we’ll turn to the family themselves to get the inside scoop from.
“The Family Casks are a unique collection of the best single casks from the distillery’s warehouses. Launched in 2007, the collection initially comprised 43 single cask bottlings, with one cask from every year from 1952 to 1994. It is our intention to continue to offer as wide a range of consecutive vintage dated single casks as possible, hence since 2007 there have been further releases, to replace casks which have sold out, and to extend the range to include vintages up to the year 2000. The Family Casks are bottled at cask strength and natural colour, allowing you to explore the subtle differences between casks and the history of family owned Glenfarclas.”
Now on to the Glenfarclas Family Casks 1962 review!
Glenfarclas Family Casks 1962 Info
Region: Speyside, Scotland
Distiller: Glenfarclas
Mashbill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: Sherry Hogshead
Age: NAS (48-49 Years | Distilled 1962 & bottled 5/27/11)
ABV: 48.9%
Cask Strength | Single Cask | Non-Chill Filtered | Natural Color
Cask: 3247
Bottle: One of 138
Price: $5,000+ (Auction / Specialty Shop)
Glenfarclas Family Casks 1962 Review
EYE
Blood red
NOSE
Thick heavy aroma of sherry, malt, candied citrus, toasted grains, ash, dried plummy dark fruit, complex dark sweets and oily nuts with a touch of spice and wood. There is an X factor at play here that I can’t put my finger on but it’s making me happy.
PALATE
Oh man it’s just… then it turns to… but then it becomes… yeah. Just layers upon layers of yeah. So much sherry, earthy malt, ash, oak, spice, dried fruit, raisins and more. It’s hard to fully describe but some brown sugar also makes an appearance and all-in-all it makes me happy as can be.
FINISH
Long and heavily laden with sherry, dried dark fruit, candied citrus, roasted malt, ash, oak and brown sugar.
BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Great balance, thick round body and a viscous feel.
OVERALL
Glenfarclas Family Casks 1962 is mind meltingly good. This dense, single sherry hogshead, offering is exactly what you’d imagine a cask strength 48-49 year old Glenfarclas would taste like. Thick layers of dark fruit, malt, rich sherry sweetness, ash, nuts and more. It’s a complex style of whisky that continues to give with each sniff and sip. If I had the funds to do so I’d go out and buy every last one I could track down, but I don’t – such is life.
SCORE: 93-97/100 (A, not consumed at home)
