I hate to say this, but this is exactly the kind of bottle I avoid from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") these days: young and off-profile. As many readers will already know, virtually all Glenfarclas is fully matured in sherry casks of one sort of another, and to see an 8 year ex-bourbon cask immediately raises the eyebrows and makes you wonder what strange experiment went awry. And the age itself is curious - why only 8 years, which is quite immature and hints at a brash, underbaked spirit?
Well, the bottle ain't speaking, and I don't have answers to any of that. I sampled this at the September Outturn Tasting of the SMWS at the Jack Rose Saloon here in Washington DC; shout out to my tablemates Thomas, Meg, and Jimmy. This, according to my records, is the fourth sub-10 year Glenfarclas I've had from SMWS.
Here are the official notes:
The delicate, complex nose gave suede jackets, hessian and tatami mats in the sun; lemon balm, heathery hillsides and coconut; travel sweets and custard creams. The palate hit the fruit machine jackpot – melons, nectarines, brambles, sherbet lemons and dried pineapple and papaya – traces of wasabi peanuts on the finish. The reduced nose had us imagining a sunny wooden platform above a rain forest, sitting on hay bales enjoying custard tarts, Charentais melon and Zinfandel rosé. The palate was lip-smacking, citric and summery – waxed sweets, lemon sorbet, gooseberries, barley water and Greek salad – tobacco strands and tannic oak tingles to finish.
This was not a very popular bottle according to the mutterings I heard around the room, but not reviled either. Just ... didn't make anyone stand up and sing sweet Sue. Second-fill ex-bourbon, bottled at a rousing 63.1% ABV, let's just dig right in:
Nose: Watermelon, melon, whipped cream... Young banana. Light, soft tropical fruits. Honey, malt, and very lightly herbal; the herbs are more pronounced with a little water.
Mouthfeel: Average, medium.
Palate: Hot sweep of alcohol, malt, spice, oak, vanilla, and distinctly less fruit than the nose. Tastes young and very clearly ex-bourbon. With water, it becomes a little meaty/sulfurous.
Finish: Oak and pepper and spices. Short.
Verdict: I honestly don't understand the rationale behind this bottle. I do understand offering an ex-bourbon Glenfarclas - a novelty - and there are some nice flavors here... but at 8 years, it's way, way too young. I would begin to be interested at twice this age, maybe; although the wood influence here is already quite strong, which is perhaps a clue to why they bottled it. That said, it's not really an outstanding value, not a good representation of the Glenfarclas house style, and I can't recommend it in good faith. Be warned.
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