Review #19: Glenfarclas 10

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Pay Them.

Glenfarclas 10 40% ABV, $38 Boss Liquors 750

Review #19 from the independent Speyside family distillery.  This is a whisky I have heard and read so much positive about I had to buy a bottle.  I had the 105 at a bar a while back and loved it so I figured the 10 was going to be pretty good.  Let’s see.

Color:  Golden Apple juice, Amber +1.  Slow tears for a 10 year old.

Nose:  Mint, Spices; Pumpkin Pie spice, Allspice, Grass, Floral, Caramel, Apple, Licorice and Oak

Mouthfeel:  Soft liquid but thin

Taste:  Spicy; Ginger and Pepper, Woody, Floral, Soft Fruit, Radish.

Finish:  Again Minty, Cinnamon, Leather, a Bit Bitter, Vinegar

With Water:  N:  More Apples, Heather  T:  Softer, More Caramel and Strawberries

Score: Taste: 68,  Value: 10, Uniqueness:  3,  Buy Again:  2  Total:  83

For such a well respected whisky I have to say the Glenfarclas 10 left me a bit flat. I think the youth made it a bit rough around the edges for me, so I’m betting the older expressions are likely to be better.  For this whisky I would think a higher ABV and more time in a cask could improve this dram greatly.  Water really softens the bite on this one and improves the flavor, but at 40% I feel guilty using much.  Leaving the bottle in my cabinet for a while also improved the flavor and mellowed the harshness from the initial opening. Evidently this Scotch needs time to open.  I think I need to try the 12 and 15 to gain more perspective on this distillery.