Home Tasting: Glenfarclas 1989-2016 26yo Official Distillery Exclusive 56.3%

A distillery-exclusive bottle purchased directly from the distillery. The Valrhona sherry cask was so appealing that I decided to buy it immediately. Glenfarclas GLENFARCLAS 1989-2016 26yo OB DISTILLERY EXCLUSIVE 56.3% one of 585 bottles ・Aroma: A rich sherry character with an intoxicating quality, featuring high-end bitter chocolate and coffee notes, dried blackcurrant, strong jam-like characteristics, sweet caramel sauce, a pronounced herbaceousness reminiscent of bouquet garni, earthiness and nuts, a robust woody depth, complex and rich. ・Flavor: A viscous mouthfeel that expands powerfully with aromatic complexity, featuring concentrated berry jams and dried fruits, bitter chocolate, a strong woody tannin that balances the intense sweetness, with subtle leather and humus notes, pronounced herbs, and a deep, complex flavor profile. ・Aftertaste: The lingering sweetness of thick jam, woody depth, and herbal tannins remain for a long time. ・With Water: The tannins soften and the sweetness becomes more even, resulting in a gentler, more approachable aroma. ・Overall: A long-matured, rich sherry-forward Glenfarclas. The complex aroma is very good, though the tannins are quite strong and may feel slightly off-putting at first. With proper dilution, the aroma becomes more approachable quickly, but there's also a satisfying joy in slowly appreciating it as-is from the cask. Without doubt, the long aging process has allowed it to develop a rich, rounded character. 【Very Good】 I purchased this Glenfarclas 1989, 26-year-old distillery exclusive during my visit to the distillery in May. Despite being a Valrhona sherry cask, its sherry character is well-refined without any off-flavors or over-ripeness. The aroma offers a diverse range of sherry cask characteristics, with an impressive balance between the intense sweetness and tannic astringency. As described above, it's a richly complex whisky with a pronounced tannic bitterness that feels somewhat reserved at first, but gradually opens up with water or time. I realized that to truly appreciate its value, it's best to drink a significant amount slowly at home. Truly remarkable for a specially selected cask, I could feel its tremendous potential. Although I considered letting it rest at home for a while since I bought several bottles, ultimately all of them (except this opened bottle) went to people who would appreciate and savor them carefully.