Glenfarclas unveils rare Port cask whisky

Glenfarclas has taken a step away from its famously Sherry-led style with the launch of a 31-year-old single Port cask expression.

Glenfarclas 31-year-old Port cask

Laid down in 1981, the whisky was bottled in July 2012 at 42.8% abv, with the 480 bottles being made exclusively available to the UK and French markets at an RRP of £280 per bottle.

Explaining this stylistic diversion, George Grant, Glenfarclas’ sales director and sixth generation of the Speyside distillery’s owning family, noted: “The traditional Glenfarclas style is achieved using predominantly first and second fill Sherry casks for maturation.

“While we never do any kind of wood finish, we do have some casks in our warehouses which don’t quite fit in with our typical house style but have their own distinctive character. Some though, like this exceptional Port cask, are just too good to pass by!”

As for what buyers of the Port cask expression can expect, Grant outlined the whisky’s “very sweet and fruity nose, evolving into some exotic notes, like beeswax, cloves, ginger and exotic woods.” With “exotic fruits, wood and spicy notes” on the palate, he described the finish as “very, very long!”

The release follows Glenfarclas’ 43-year-old Cognac cask, which was launched last year. 2012 also saw the distillery fill two old Hine Cognac casks as part of an informal exchange project between the two houses, with a plan to release the result in 16 years time.