Continuing my "old Glenfarclas" series of reviews, which left off with the 17 year, here comes the next logical extension of the series ... the 21 year. Bottled at 43%, natural colored, chill-filtered, and matured in ex-Oloroso sherry casks. How is it? Let's find out.
Nose: Unsurprisingly similar to the 17 year: raspberries, overripe red apples, dried red sherry fruit, old leather, tobacco leaf. The nose is more subtle and nuanced than the 17 year. It's also delectable, completely.
Mouthfeel: The chill filtration and the 43% are both noticeable on the mouthfeel, which is on the thinner side.
Palate: This diverges somewhat from the 17 year, which was full of sweet fruit, sugary cake, and wood. The 21 year instead follows the nose quite closely and thus delivers a more savory experience: apples, oranges, dried cherries, dried plums, tobacco leaf, leather. The more time in the glass, the richer it gets.
Finish: What a long finish for a sherried whisky! Wood tannins, light wisps of smoke, and the overripe apples continue on for ages. Very long finish.
Verdict: Because of the close continuity between the nose and the palate and the finish, I find this more integrated than the 17 year, and thus I recommend it more readily. This is, as far as I'm concerned, THE aged sherried whisky. Of course, there are many I've never had... but this is an excellent representation of the genre: mature, rich, complex, fruity, sweet but also savory. It has a little of everything, all perfectly balanced. Nicely done, Glenfarclas.
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