Glenfarclas and Highland Park 25s

So a couple of 25 year old belters here. I’m going to avoid piddling into the torrent of opinion that sprays forth about No Age Statement whisky (for now at least), sufficed to say that even the most ardent advocate/apologist of NAS would surely go weak at the knees at tasting the couple of oldies that I’m reviewing here.

Here I have two miniatures from two distilleries I have a lot of time for. They are both 25 years old and I thought I’d try them side by side.

Starting with the Glenfarclas 25

Bottle

This is lighter in colour than the Highland Park, a kind of shining gold. There’s a bit of sweetness and sherry on the nose. Surprisingly light to taste too for it's age. Refreshing and spritely but still smooth.

It was a little fruity but more citrus-y than the the chewy raisin you sometimes get with older whisky. I got a bit of grapefruit in there - Opal Fruits (Starburst I guess now). Surprised how young it seemed but still very rounded. Not feisty like a Kilchoman. I also got a bit of pitta bread dryness, oakiness I suppose if you wanted it in whiski-ese

Going back to it after trying the Highland I got flowers, light and fragrant. It was like stepping into the entrance hall of a country house on a cool spring day. Woody, fresh and fragrant.

Highland Park 25

Quite different this. Smooth and sherried – a big taste to match it’s deep dark colouring.

HP Sauce

This was much like the 30 year old (also like an old 8yo I once tasted). Wonderful brown sugar smell like a burnt crème brulee. A lingering warmth after tasting. It opens up deliciously there’s a heavy cask influence I think. It’s so deeply flavoured with wood, smoke and fruit. There were buttery crumpets too.

Going back to the Highland Park after the Glenfarlas it made me think of a ship’s trunk or an old library. Very Leathery and refined. And so rich. I also got the bit of peat in there. Smouldering ashes lingering in the middle of cold damp night. Just sublime

Overall a highly classy affair. A couple of old boys ready to kick arse.

Pricing-wise I've seen the Glenfarclas at £110 which surely makes it one of the best value oldies out there. Generally speaking I think Glenfarclas are to be applauded for their reasonable pricing.

The Highland Park I preferred of the two. But the cheapest I’ve seen it is £270. I’d really struggle to recommend that for any bottle but this is definitely worth trying should you get the chance. Old Highland Park (or old bottles) might become a bit of a thing to explore I think.

WW

Glenfarclas 15 Year Old

Well, it’s been a long time since I last posted… I’m probably going to stop mentioning that since it’s how so many posts start. From now on in this has blog has moved from regular series of reviews to an occasional series. A very occasional series...

Mind you, in whisky terms these gaps are mere blips in the long maturation of this blog.  The only difference is that in the case of whisky things tend to get better with age, whereas this blog maintains a steady standard (of unexpurgated dreck).

So Glenfarclas 15 year old. An exellent whisky.

I was desperate to love this whisky. Even without trying it I have always had peculiar soft spot for Glenfarclas, I think mainly due to its amazing 1950s styling. The label oozes a kind old-fashioned classiness and distinction… like a grand old victorian theatre. So on a recent(ish) trip to Speyside I picked up this bottle following a tour of the distillery.

As an aside, having done the tour there was nothing there to dampen my ardour for Glenfarclas – it’s a very nice, friendly operation and wholly independent. It looks surprisingly industrial in its process – for example they have massive steel washbacks instead of wooden ones.  But then sometime I need to remind myself that they are operating within an industry and not running a whimsy factory.

A few days after getting home I popped the top off the bottle poured a glass of the dark sweet 15yo, took a nosing… and got blasted by a painful whiff of alcohol. I tamed it with a bit of water but something wasn’t quite right. It almost seemed a touch stale. Maybe I was wanting to like it too much and it wasn’t living up to my expectations but I couldn’t quite get a handle on the taste of it. It just seemed to burn and a be bit flat.

But fear not, I left it a few more days before trying again,  at the second time of asking it well and truly came through and every time since it’s proved itself to be a beautiful wee drop. I got a pleasant caramelised orange on the nose. It still looks the part that dark rich syrup colour but it’s so pleasantly sweet to the taste,  like drinking water that has been running over a tray of molten toffee. 

It lingers for so long too, like having something stuck in your teeth that you keep catching – but, you know, in a good way. The whole mouth feel is amazing.

What to make of the first try I’m not sure – either there was something that needed to happen within the bottle or, more likely, my tastebuds were having an off-day. I think it’s a salutatory lesson not to make any lasting judgments on just one taste.

Anyway I’m so glad it proved to be a winner - not least because it cost me £40. One of the best things I can say about it is that it’s distinctive too, it has a signature taste to it. The kind of whisky you could pick out of a line-up. What’s more I’ve got the 21 and 25 yo to try as well since they came in a tasting pack. Watch this space – I’m sure to have them reviewed this side of the heat-death of the universe.