New Release: Glenfarclas 2005-2016 11yo for THE WHISKY HOOP #2448 56.6%

The second year's Christmas bottle was also very satisfying. Glenfarclas GLENFARCLAS 2005-2016 11yo OB for THE WHISKY HOOP #2448 56.6% one of 641 bottles, SHERRY BUTT The aroma has a rich sherry character, sweetness, bitter chocolate, prunes and orange marmalade, black sugar and toasted barley nuances reminiscent of candy, a faint solvent-like woodiness akin to newly made furniture, herbs with subtle clove and mint spices, a faint earthy or tanned leather richness. When drinking, it has a spicy stimulation that gradually builds, a rich flavor that feels deeper than the specs suggest, similar to the aroma with candy-like notes, strong sherry character and jammy sweetness, a solid tannic or slightly bitter edge accompanying the herbal liqueur-like and woody characteristics, with a clear young barley umami and earthy depth in the aftertaste. 【Very Good】 This Glenfarclas 2005, 11-year-old whisky was bottled for THE WHISKY HOOP. It's another special Christmas label release, following last year's edition. They tasted an enormous number of casks directly from the distillery's many warehouses, including those still in their growth phase. Amidst this mixed bag of quality, shining good casks were selected. Considering that they've already bottled several casks and deepened their relationship, as well as the fact that it's a family-run distillery with a chairman who is pro-Japanese, Glenfarclas might be the best distillery to source quality casks for THE WHISKY HOOP. I've tried it both in Yurakucho and at home, but it's definitely high quality. With a clear sherry character in its aroma, fruity, chocolatey notes with youthful yet savory barley characteristics, spices and herbs, plus a subtle earthiness or leather feel typically seen in more matured casks. Despite its aging duration, it clearly shows a diverse range of characteristics. It also has a solid sweetness balanced by tannic dryness, giving it a depth of flavor that's quite impressive. While older sherry casks can be delicious even with short aging, current releases also have good ones if you select the right cask. And I think such quality has been gradually increasing over the past few years, regardless of whether it's an official bottler or not. It's already quite delicious at this stage, but still has some youthfulness and roughness. As the tannins and bitterness evolve into deeper layers, the texture becomes more mellow and integrated. It's a robust spirit with strong core, so I think it will become even more delicious. I'm aware that my evaluation has some personal bias, but as a full-bodied whisky with potential for future growth, it's hard not to be excited. #Glenfarclas (GLENFARCLAS)