Josh and Jason of Single Cask Nation are no strangers to releasing some unique whisk(e)y over the years. From cask strength Wild Turkey to MGP “Light Whiskey,” the SCN crew continues to impress. In the case of their 9 year old Glenfarclas bottling, however, they really went all out for a few different reasons.
First, this is a “double cask” Single Cask Nation bottling comprised of a first fill sherry hogshead AND a refill Oloroso Sherry hogshead. Clearly, the sum was greater than its parts. As I recently learned from Josh, a double cask microbatch from Glenfarclas costs significantly less than a single cask. For the SCN team, the end price is an important factor in deciding what making it to final bottling and distribution.
Second, and this is quite remarkable, is that this independent bottling of Glenfarclas actually uses the distillery name on the label. Almost every single IB Glenfarclas I’ve ever seen has been labeled as “Speyside” or “Speyside’s Finest”. The fact that this carries the official Glenfarclas brand tells me that they must be quite proud of what’s inside the bottle. Needless to say, I’m incredibly excited to have gotten 1 of these 562 bottles.
As for the whisky itself, it certainly didn’t disappoint!
| Category | Notes |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Rust |
| Nose | Coffee cake, cherries, toffee, prunes, cream cheese frosting, and raisins atop a layer of cereal, vanilla, and oak. |
| Taste | Thick and oily, dates, fresh strawberries, just a bit grassy, caramel, baking spice, slightly astringent oak, hints of pipe tobacco. |
| Finish | Creamy, cherry pie filling, vanilla, allspice, some earthy undertones, a bit of red wine, medium length, then fades fast. |
| Overall Thoughts | This whisky is rich, layered, and evolves over time. Unlike sherry bombs that pummel you with spice and red berry influence, this brings more to the table. It reminds me of a more complete Glenfarclas 105 if I had to make the comparison to an OB product on store shelves. Very nicely done. |
| Total Score | 91/100 |
