THE MALT DESK TURNS 1 YEAR + GLENFARCLAS 1973 FAMILY CASK - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

Time flies... 1 years ago today, Saturday 25th May 2012 saw me starting The Malt Desk - why, you might ask, when there are so many other whisky blogs out there? and the answer is... I needed to... both on a personal level (which I won't bore you with) and because I had now been involved with whisky for so long that I just felt I needed something more substantial to put my thoughts and reviews etc. - oh, and I was also encouraged by a few people in the local whisky club to start something up... so with that, I already had the first readers... but still this is mainly for my own enjoyment.

Now, 1 year later I find myself still going at it, though some days the posts are shorter than others - but the reasons for that are many, so don't despair - that's just how it is... :-)

I also find myself get recognized at whisky event and people coming up to say hi, which is more than I expected but it's very nice - it's always good to meet other whisky fans in person.

What's next? well, honestly I don't at the moment - I'll go on as usual for the time being, but are thinking about turning down on the frequenzy of posts just a bit...

I'm very happy with the feedback I've gotten so far and with that go with the old saying 'why fix it when it's not broken' - atleast for now... Though I'm hoping maybe in the future to get another angle on things than to what I'm doing now.

Thanks for reading!
Claus, TMD

I'll celebrate this first anniversay with a review of a stonker of a malt tasted at the Spirit of Speyside Festival earlier this May. Saturday May 4th we ventured to Glenfarclas for their 'Anniversaries tasting' which featured a cask sample from 2003 and then Family cask expressions from 1993, 1983, 1973, 1963 and finally 1953.

Generous pours were given after the regular tasting and I managed to secure a sample of the 1973 for later tasting and reviewing as it stood out from the others on the day.

The lineup of Family Cask expressions for tasting @ Glenfarclas - May 4th 2013 © The Malt Desk

Glenfarclas 1973 38yo (19.03.1973/13.10.2011) Family Cask#2598 Rel. VIII, 56,5%, Distillery bottling

Colour is dark mahogany

Nose:
Glenfarclas nose as I've found in some of the old Speyside's Finest OMC bottlings as well, thick malt, spicy sherry coating, oranges, hint of apricot, baked apple peaks through the sherry, milk chocolate and prune juice, burnt sugar creme brulee style

Taste:
Relatively fresh on arrival, despite its age, clean cut old sherry style, a bit drying... Sugar coated apples and pickled in old sherry from your Granny's cupboard, Atamon even... syrupy and honey in there too....

Swims very well despite it being both old and heavily sherry, but this wonderful whisky should not take more that 3-5 drops (litteraly!) of water!

A stellar old Glenfarclas!

92/100!