Glenfarclas The Hielanman Spirit Drink 45 Years Old 38.3% 1971

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Serge Valentin (90)

Not whisky since it had dropped below 40% vol. As for the distillery, I don’t think that’s totally a secret.

Colour: gold.

Nose: get-out-of-here! It’s akin to those marvellous early 1970s ‘undisclosed Speysides’ (even more of those soon on WF), with the most subtle and enthralling combination of honeys, figs, waxes, and metal parts. Polishes, oils, bits of copper, bits of iron… Then we find a winning trio, menthol plus eucalyptus plus camphor. That always works!

Mouth: well, it isn’t weak, its just a tad oaky at first sips (cedar wood), but the magnificent waxy fruitiness is soon to come to the rescue. Honeydew, pollens, very old chardonnay, a touch of sour apple, a pinhead of balsamico, a drop of Yquem (this is Christmas time, you know)… Now do the missing 40-38.3=1.7% vol. feel? Absolutely not.

Finish: medium, lovely, honeyed, date-y. A drop of old moscatel, perhaps.

Comments: at 38.3%, we’ve got a good excuse to do nothing but drink more of this baby, and that’s not its only advantage.