Lots of sherry and fruit in this, Glenfarclas 12 was originally bottled for export and travel retail markets. In 2006, it was named the "Best Sherried Whisky" in the Single Malt World Cup, and in 2007 and 2008 it won Gold at the Stockholm Beer and Whisky Festival.
Light and creamy with a mix of supple, soft sherry and Manuka honey. Gentle and well-balanced, there are hints of smoke, rich oak, and a little pine resin.
Medium-bodied, with notes of date and walnut cake, Oloroso sherry and hints of earthy forest floor. A beautiful note of malt, with toffee apple and a touch of smoke.
Spicy and long, notes of allspice, cinnamon and cloves, with orange zest and sherry.
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I recognise that I'm very limited in my appreciation of whiskies... the old Macallan 10 was a staple and since that all but disappeared from the shelves I've been very happy with Balvenie double-wood and Tamdhu, but as another poster has commented this has a VERY STRANGE/UNPLEASANT dominant note in taste. I couldn't put a name to it but he called it 'curry' and that sort of fits. Sadly unlike him I didn't buy a taster I bought a bottle. One hopes that the other more positive reviews were considering a different batch else I'm missing the point. Tasted alongside the Glendronach 8 which apart from a whiff of peat was far more pleasant.
I just got one of your samples and really liked it. Very nice flavor, smooth and more complex than most 12-year old scotches.
I have had many Scotches in my life, and this is my favorite. It has a very nice blend of smoky, nutty, fruity, and citrus notes. It is a curious Scotch at first, but it quicky grows on you. I have been drinking it for over 20 years, and it is my go-to Scotch. A couple drops of water really help bring out the flavor. It gets 5 stars from me.
If you're looking for an easy-going non-peated 12, then for me, there are far better options available. I was thoroughly disappointed with this. I think Aberlour 12 has a better balance of flavours (toasted nuts on the palate), and Glenfarclas 12 also doesn't have the same quality of finish or texture as a Redbreast 12, say. And a million miles off anything Suntory is producing right now. I think the quality of the 12 has declined since Jim Murray's high praise in 2014, and would not jump at this.
Drinking neat: A VERY strange curry note dominates, Honey, spice, apple, nutty, herbal, sweet. A strange Scotch. A flavor and aroma profile I have never experienced before. It's so unique and so far off from the 10 year old, it makes me wonder if something went wrong with this batch. Luckily this was just a sampler and not an entire bottle. I'll have to try and revisit this one one day.
