A Tantalizing Unsherried 28 Year Expression from a Speyside Icon
1992 Probably Speyside’s Finest (Glenfarclas) 28 Year Old “Old & Rare” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($179.99)
“It’s hard to argue for a better value in the 2020 whisky landscape than this.”
— Andrew Whitelely, K&L NorCal Spirits Buyer

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Not only is the 1992 Probably Speyside’s Finest (Glenfarclas) 28 Year “Old & Rare” bottling about as rare as hen’s teeth, it is also one of the sharpest Scotch buys we’ve encountered in 2020. Glenfarclas rarely releases casks to bottlers and never with the Glenfarclas name on it. Making it all the more unique, this is an unsherried cask, which allows one to experience the malt in its full, unadulterated beauty. Similar casks, when you can find them, often come with a price tag of $400 or more, making this deal all the more remarkable. But price and rarity are only part of the story here, as this single cask exclusive is downright delicious. A dazzling dram through and through, it combines wonderfully expressive fruit with a cascade of exotic spice. Balanced and pure, this 28 Year Old would be a welcome addition to any Scotch collection. If you wish to experience the nuanced side of Glenfarclas, this is your perfect chance.

1992 Probably Speyside’s Finest (Glenfarclas) 28 Year Old “Old & Rare” K&L Exclusive Single Barrel Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (750ml) ($179.99)

The renowned old distillery in Ballindaloch does not generally sell their whisky to blenders. When they do, it will never include the famous name that the family regards as its exclusive trade property. For that reason, this incredible single malt will never be sold to blenders or bottlers with the distillery name included. We, in fact, have never been offered this whisky by any of our partners in Scotland before as a single malt, although a few of our partners do sell similar whiskies. If you know the exceptional Blairfindy malt from the Blackadder brand, you’ll be well aware of the quality this cask represents and since that whisky sells stateside for upwards of $450 for the same age statement as this, we think we’ve got a pretty good deal going here. It is, indeed, unusual to see this distillery filled into non-sherry cask in general, but there’s something extremely satisfying about experiencing this incredible malt in a completely mature unsherried style. The depth of the spirit itself truly shines through here in a way that the distillery bottings don’t express. The result is a whisky whose bold malt character has been tamed into deep expressive fruit and nuanced complexity unlike any we’ve ever sold before.

Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: December 02, 2020

This whisky immediately makes me feel like a kid in a candy store. The excitement upon opening it was intense. The color is pure joy—a cross between goldenrod and marigold. The first nosing completes the candy store picture by screaming peach rings. It’s creamy and luscious and is an extremely easy drinking 47.4% ABV at cask strength. The cask influence is relatively minimal, especially when compared to most bottlings of Glenfarclas which typically feature some sherry maturation. The refill barrel really makes way for the complexity of Speyside’s Finest to shine after 28 long years in cask. It’s one of those whiskies that is incredibly hard to break apart into individual descriptors because everything is so perfectly integrated. The fruitiness is unmatched. There are stone fruits, citrus, berries, ripe sweet persimmon, and a touch of the tropical. The barrel spices are there, but seamless. Under all that fruit is sweet cinnamon and nutmeg, vanilla, allspice. Milk chocolate and more cream linger on the finish. It’s a beautiful dram and wildly underpriced. It’s hard to argue for a better value in the 2020 whisky landscape than this.