My eldest son recently turned 18, and got a bottle of his birth year vintage Glenfarclas as part of the birthday gifts.
This is a special edition for the German market called “Premium Edition” and is a bottling of 11 sherry casks distilled between 15.2.1996 and 20.11.1996. They were bottled on 30.8.2009, just a few days after his Bar Mizvah.
Photo Credit: whiskyshopdufftown.com
There are a few vintages out, but this is not an annual bottling (I’ve seen 1990, 1991, 1993, 1996, 1997 and 2000).
This edition has quite a bit of information on it, including information about the 11 casks: Casks 680-684 were distilled on 15.2.1996, Cask 1488 was distilled on 25.3.1996 and casks 7024-7029 were distilled on 20.11.1996. Being an edition sold in Germany, any addition of coloring would have to be stated, and as none was – this is presented at natural color.
Photo Credit: cellartracker.com
Glenfarclas Premium Edition Vintage 1996 (46% ABV, NC)
Appearance: Bronze with thick and quick legs.
Nose: Strawberry, pie filled with crème pâtissière, cinnamon, dried fruit and a faint sour note.
palate: Syrupy, full bodied, sherry sweetness, a bitter note in the back of the throat and a light sweetness overall in the mouth.
Linger: Medium linger with red berries, some wood, espresso with a pleasant bitterness left behind.
Conclusion
This is a lovely sherry bomb, somewhat akin to the GlenDronach 15 (although not as sweet). These bottles are very reasonably priced (€50-60) and provide a pretty decent value for money, even if you don’t have offspring born in those years reaching the legal drinking age.