Glenfarclas
Glenfarclas: family and resilience
Glenfarclas is a Scottish distillery, from Speyside to be precise.
Its history began in 1836 when a farmer, Robert Hay, obtained a licence to distil on his land.
Hay died in 1865 and his neighbour, John Grant, bought Glenfarclas. Since then, it has remained in the Grant family.
This continuity makes it possible to maintain an ancestral guideline while reducing the effects of economic crises.
One example is their situation at the end of the 19thth century. The Grant family joined forces with the Pattisons, who were responsible for one of the worst crises in the whisky industry in 1898. Despite this crash, Glenfarclas did not break up. Since then, it has endured by maintaining its balance between an official emblematic range, preserved old stocks and sales to blenders.
Glenfarclas: an assertive and maintained style
The Glenfarclas distillery produces whiskies that are nurtured by maturation in sherry casks.
In addition, it has two particularities. Firstly, evaporation (angels' share) is very low, around 0.05% (compared to the national average of 2.5%). This is probably due to the existence of a micro-climate. Secondly, it is the last Scottish distillery to use direct flame heating of its stills.
Although it is attached to its traditions, Glenfarclas is not inert. As early as 1968, it was a pioneer in launching raw cask versions. Then, it abandoned its floor maltings in 1972. Finally, in 1973, it built a visitors' centre, which was quite rare at the time.
Today the official range is rich and still marked by the influence of sherry casks. The classic range includes 10 year old, 12 year old, 15 year old, 17 year old, 21 year old, 25 year old, 30 year old and 40 year old. In addition, Glenfarclas 105, brut de fût, is a good complement to the range.
Finally, since 2007, the cream of the crop appears in the premium " Family Cask " range, offering unique and vintage casks. Read less
