New Glenfarclas 50 Year Old Whisky A Bargain For Its Age Range

It is no secret ultra old single malt Scotch whisky can command premium prices in both the primary retail and secondary collector’s markets. One bargain, at least by some standards, are the high quality older expressions from Glenfarclas. This distillery’s 40 year old, for example, prices around $700-750, on average, globally. Compare that to, say, a Highland Park 40 year old, pricing on average $2,500. Now on their docket is a new 50 year old bottling, pricing at a rather decent £1,800 (around $2,500 USD).

Having just read that last number, you may think this author crazy. Stop and consider this for a moment, however – a Highland Park 50 year old, on average, is over $18,000, while a Dalmore 50 year old clocks in at $21,000 and a Balvenie 50 year old will set you back, again on average, over $36,000. You can thus see what I’m getting at – if you want to pay to play in the 50 year whisky market, the Glenfarclas isn’t that bad of a comparable deal.

What’s perhaps further special about this half century old whisky is that it is part of Glenfarclas’ Collector Series. It is the third bottling specifically for this line, the first two of which included a 1956 Oloroso sherry cask aged gem and a 1966 whisky drawn from ex-Fino sherry casks. The line was created to celebrate each member of the family involved with running the distillery since the late 1800s.

Specifics on the Glenfarclas 50 Year Old from the distillery indicate it was matured in former Oloroso casks, producing just 937 bottles containing a non-chill filtered spirit of 41.1% ABV. After being bottled late last year, the Scotch is presented “in a black leather box with a silver emblem of George Grant, third generation of the family and features III in Roman numerals etched underneath.”

“We’re very excited to have reached the half way mark in our Family Collector Series,” said George Grant, Glenfarclas Sales Director, in a statement. “Thanks to my family’s foresight in laying down stock for the future, today we’re able to enjoy impressive age statements which is certainly a luxury worth sharing!”

Official tasting notes for this 50 year old are below from Glenfarclas for your consideration.

On the nose it reveals wonderful fresh sweet sherry with an unexpected youthful aroma from such a whisky of its age. With time in the glass, hints of crème caramel and butterscotch develop. Its flavour reveals an assertive spiciness but never overpowering followed by treacle toffee, chocolate ice-cream and sherry soaked raisins. On the finish, a wonderful balance of sherry, spiced fruits and cinnamon and aneverlasting sweetness which you would expect from 50 years in our finest sherry casks.