Glenfarclas 12 - A Slightly Spicier Sherried Scotch

Glenfarclas 12 is a Speyside single malt aged in ex-sherry casks for 12 years.

Wait, that sounds familiar...isn't that Macallan? Or Aberlour?( Oh, A'Bunadh!)

Well, yes. It's the same general recipe: whisky made with water from the River Spey drainage, using low peat malted barely, and aged fully or partly in ex-sherry casks. However, these whiskies are not interchangeable, much the same way that Islay neighbors Lagavulin, Laphroig, and Ardbeg are not interchangeable. Despite the similarities, they all have distinctly different flavors.

Glenfarclas is usually compared most directly to Macallan. Because more folks in the US have encountered Macallan than Aberlour. I'll follow along with that convention.

Glenfarclas is bottled at 86 proof (43% abv), just a little more than the equivalent Macallan. There are folks who swear that they can tell the difference between and 80 proof and 86 proof whisky, but I am not one of them. I like both with just a small splash of water.

Glenfarclas 12 has a sweet sherry aroma that emanates pleasantly from the glass and that can be enjoyed from it sits upon the table. Raising the class to the nose to investigate further brings a bit of an unwelcome surprise - a sharp undertone that reminds me of rubbing alcohol.

Sipped, sherry is the first flavor, some fruit notes, then a hint of honey, and then a bit of spiciness,. The finish is on the short side - is that a little ginger I taste?

Glenfarclas 12 feels lighter in the mouth than the Macallan 12, and the Macallan has a slightly richer, sweeter, smoother flavor.

Which is better? That's a question of personal taste. I prefer the Macallan 12 to the Glenfarclas 12, but I can easily see others taking the opposite tack, finding more enjoyment in the lighter character and spicier flavor of the Glenfarclas.

As for which is the better value, at this age, only a couple of dollars separate the two, with the Glenfarclas being the cheaper. That differential is too small to  dissuade from buying the Macallan 12 instead, especially since both cost more than $50 a bottle.

Interestingly, the price differential expands more than exponentially as the two get older. The Glenfarclas 17 is  around $90, while the year older Macallan goes for about $150. A bottle of 25-year-old Macallan will set you back $850, while the Glenfarclas 25-year-old weighs in at a relatively modest $145 or so. So, if you're looking to add a quarter-century-old whisky to your bar for gravitas, but are on a tight budget, the Glenfarclas is the way to go.