Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strenght Whiskey 1 Litre

Glenfarclas 105 Highland is a superb cask strength whisky, with a history that can be traced to 1968. When the original incarnation was released that year, Glenfarclas became the first distillery to release a barrel proof single malt whisky.

The bottling was eventually re-named to 105, referring to its alcohol content in British Proof, which equates now to 60% ABV.

The 105 doesn’t carry an age statement presently, making it rare among Glenfarclas bottlings. Although, there are suggestions that it is matured for 8-10 years in a combination of both ex-sherry and ex-bourbon barrels.

Drying, assertive and richly spiced, the 105 makes for a superb dram, one the Malt Maniacs rated as the best “Bang for your buck” whisky in 2004. Add a drop of water if you please to explore its depth – and don’t be put off by that ABV, there’s plenty of flavour here to enjoy.

The increasing popularity of cask strength single malts comes as no surprise. They provide an opportunity to taste whisky in its purest and most natural form without visiting a distillery, and conversely, to dilute to your preferred strength rather than the bottler’s. Typically, they have minimal or zero filtration which tends to retain more flavour and texture. One has to take the good with the bad. Extreme alcohol can be prickly, and can even anaesthetise the mouth resulting in a less pleasurable experience. A high tax/alcohol ratio also means such spirits can be excessively pricey. If there was a holy grail of malt, then for many it would be the discovery of affordable cask strength whisky that’s also achieved balance – to the degree that you can enjoy it undiluted. This is one. There are ‘softer’ cask strength releases on the market, but rarely in this style and very, very rarely at this price/volume ratio.

Glenfarclas 105 Highland Tasting Notes