Two Happy Occasions Coincide: My 500th Single Malt and 45th Birthday Dram – Glenfarclas 1969 Family Cask

About a month and a half ago, I gave my friend and fellow blogger Yoav access to the list of whiskys I had tasted, which I had just moved onto the computer. After an hour or so Yoav tells me that he has a challenge for me. He noticed the list was at 460 and my birthday was about six weeks away. “Do you think you can get to 500 by your birthday?” he asked. Not one to shy away from a challenge, I said yes, knowing that my birthday dram is already waiting for me, since I bought a 3cl sample of my birth year family cask to celebrate following last years birthday dram – the Glenfarclas 40.

Indeed, over the past 5 weeks I enjoyed samples exchanged with friends from all over the world and had my 499th single malt expression on Wednesday night at our MMI Club Meeting.  Now I’m enjoying this beautiful classic old sherry and spice, and with these notes, I start my 46th orbit. May it be one full of amazing drams enjoyed with great friends 🙂

Photo Credit: masterofmalt.com

Glenfarclas 1969 Family Cask (Release VI) (56.2% ABV, NCF, NC)

Appearance: Mahogany with very slow forming legs lazily rolling down the glass.

Nose: Old sherry, polished wood, warm wood spices, cooked fruit in a deep syrup, a dusty library and some high quality cognac. After time, an underlying sweetness is revealed.
Water brings out the dried fruit and cake frosting.

Palate: Neat it’s wood bitterness and sherry sweetness with a very mouth drying effect. Water brings out a mild sherry vinegary quality

Linger: Spiciness abounds on the tongue with some sourness and a mouth drying bitter tannin effect. Old wood in liquid form. The sherry is evident, with faint notes of pipe tobacco

Conclusion

What can I say? I love the old sherry effect, with the balance in this one leaning powerfully toward the oak. A special dram for a special occasion, and a very worthy opening for a (hopefully) outstanding 46th year.

I also want to take this occasion to thank all the wonderful friends who joined my whisky journey this past year, many over Facebook from all over the globe, and some in person in Israel and abroad. I appreciate you and love the fact that we can share our passion.

I’ll also wish my dear friend Manny from Austria a happy 45th birthday (but he’s just a kid, having been born a full day after me) 🙂

Slainte!