Glenfarclas 1981 Port Cask IV Is a Departure for This Distillery

Scotland’s Glenfarclas distillery is known for its use of Oloroso sherry casks for maturation – sometimes very long maturation. It’s less well-known for whisky that’s been fully aged in ex-port casks, which is what Glenfarclas’ newest Family Collector Series expression, Glenfarclas 1981 Port Cask IV, is matured in.

The Glenfarclas 1981 Port Cask IV, according to the distillery, is the oldest port cask matured Scotch it has ever released. The last bottling released from such barrels was 31 years old, whereas this expression, if bottled this year, would be around 35 years of age.

As with previous releases from the Family Collector line, the whisky packaging honors a member of the distillery owner’s family. In this case it features a silver emblem of the Grant family’s 4^th generation, George S. Grant, the grandfather of the current director of sales, also named George Grant. George S. Grant was the custodian of Glenfarclas for 52 years.

Only 521 bottles of the 1981 Port Cask are being made available at retail worldwide, each bottled at 47.9%. No immediate price point was given, so for comparison’s sake I’ll point you to the last Family Collector release, a 50 year old, which priced around $2,500 USD when it came to market.

“We wanted to make an innovative Family Collector Series, which incorporates bottlings from Fino Sherry, Oloroso Sherry, and now, Port Cask matured whisky,” said George Grant, 6^th generation, in a prepared statement. “I believe this truly showcases the variety and skill that Glenfarclas has to offer to our valued customers around the world.”