Glenfarclas 8 year old is a less commonly seen younger expression from the Speyside distillery famous for its sherried whiskies and large selection of age-statement malts.
Nose: Fresh and grassy. Both fruits and malts combine with honey and some florals (tree blossom) to create a pleasant, but delicate bouquet that is straight form the garden. Some wet hay and damp soils give an earthiness. There’s something faintly metallic here, rather brass like.
Taste: Arrival is fine, but a touch watery. There’s both sweet and sour notes here. Green apples and some light sherried notes of fig, toffee and buttery chocolate. The brassiness is still present, as is the grassy herbalness. The middle-palate is a touch hollow unfortunately, with little grounding it to either the green garden notes or the light malts.
Finish: Short, fairly malty and with some mossy earthiness.
Glenfarclas 8 year old is perfectly light, fresh and perfectly drinkable, though offering little hidden depth. It’s easy going, youthful and much more grassy than most Glenfarclas expressions.