spirits & cocktails
letter from scotland Our resident whisky man, Michael F Fraser Milne, reports from the frontline, over a wee dram i am sitting at Glenfarclas as I write this looking over Ben Rinnes (also known in Scottish Gaelic as Beinn Ruaidhneis). This mountain in Moray, in northern Scotland, is where Glenfarclas sources its water, which at present has a bit of snow on it - and it is only 8 May. This distillery has been around since at least the 1790s and has been owned by the same family; the Grants, all of whom have been named John or George for the past six generations. Glenfarclas has been referred to as the King of Malts and, sitting here, it does feel like we have been invited into a very special place. The distillery is very spic and span. And it would be an unusual day when a visitor did not bump into a member of the family
52 www.drinksbiz.co.nz june / july 2012
who owns the distillery, or one of the staff who have worked here for the past 20 to 45 years. Glenfarclas exudes a sense that all those who work here have a feeling of loyalty and pride; it’s a feeling which, to be honest, I have not encountered elsewhere. Their whisky stocks go back as far as the 1940s, and their flagship of their whisky range is the Family Cask series. This single cask bottling was produced from each year between 1953 right through to 1996. The whisky from Glenfarclas is one of class and sophistication. The distillery’s 12yo, 15yo, 17yo, 21yo, 25yo, 30yo and 40 year old whiskies all offer deep, rich flavours with tastes of mocha, oranges, chocolate, Christmas cake and lingering deep spices. They are deep in flavor intensity and have a long finish.
To touch on these malts in a few words will never do them justice; the Glenfarclas range is, in my opinion, unsurpassed in relation to the effort they put into their production to ensure their cask selection policy is one of the best. They hand pick every European Butt in Spain; dedication which shows in these drams. From the fantastic large boil-boll stills to the ship’s room visitor centre, Glenfarclas leaves one not only impressed by its professionalism and whisky, it also gives one great faith that John and George Grant have the future secured, with 55,000 + casks of the very best wood sitting in storage. We are assured of many years of The King of Malts yet. michael@whiskygalore.co.nz