New presentation for Glenfarclas 105 launched

Speyside, – More than 40 years after the first bottling of Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength, family owned and managed J. & G. Grant are proud to release the new presentation for the distillery’s legendary expression in the 700ml bottle format. The new presentation incorporates a bespoke bottle and contemporary repeat 105 pattern.

In 1968 George S. Grant, fourth generation of the owning family, bottled a single cask straight from the warehouse, and sent the bottles to family and friends as Christmas gifts. By chance the strength of the cask George S. Grant selected was ‘105’ British Proof, and along with the name of the distillery, this was all the information he detailed on the hand written label. By the end of January the recipients of the gifts requested further bottles, hence Glenfarclas ‘105’, the first commercially available cask strength whisky of the modern age was born. The name refers to the strength in the British Proof system, equivalent to 60% alcohol by volume.

The new packaging builds on the 105’s cult status, by giving the expression a stronger identity of its own. Whilst the presentation has given the 105 a contemporary twist, the company continue to produce Glenfarclas 105 in the same traditional manner, by selecting some of the finest casks from the distillery’s warehouses, and vatting them together to give a constant 60% vol., without adding water. George Grant, Director of Sales and sixth generation, added, ‘The 105 has a great history, and this new presentation gives the 105 a great future’.

Notes

Cask Strength Whisky:

The vast majority of whiskies are ‘reduced’, water is added at the point of bottling to take the strength down to 40% or 43% Vol. Glenfarclas 105 is not reduced, instead casks are vatted together to obtain a constant strength of 60% Vol. Most whiskies would be deemed too over powering served at 60% Vol., however with a heavily sherried house style, Glenfarclas 105 is surprisingly smooth for its strength.

Glenfarclas 105 Cask Strength Tasting notes

Colour: Deep peaty-gold.

Nose: Complex, oaky, apples and pears, and a tempting dark toffee sweetness.

Flavour: Dry and assertive, develops quickly to reveal a rich spiciness, combined with a hint of oak and sherried fruit.

Finish: Amazingly smooth for the strength; wonderfully warming and with a lingering smokiness, yet very rounded.

Comment: A great whisky holding all the flavours of all the Glenfarclas in one glass. Being so warming, this is the perfect Hogmanay dram. The smoothness makes the 105 drinkable at cask strength, but we suggest adding a little water to fully explore its great depth. Glenfarclas 105 was originally bottled as an 8 Years Old, however since 1989, it has been bottled as a 10 Years Old.

Cult status

• Entry in the Guinness Book of records in the 1970s for the strongest commercially available whisky.

• For a while stronger than the maximum permitted strength in the USA, hence the distillery bottled Glenfarclas 104 specifically for the US market, until US regulations changed.

• In the 1990s Glenfarclas ran a promotion including a hydrometer with each bottle of 105. Consumers were encouraged to reduce the whisky themselves, and try 105 at different strengths.

• 2004 ‘Bang for your Buck’ Award from the Malt Maniacs sums up the 105’s price to performance ratio.

• In November 2008 J. & G. Grant released a limited edition Glenfarclas 105 Aged 40 Years. With only a couple of casks of a suitable age, strength and style, the bottling was limited to just 893 bottles.

• 2-10 – the Speyside cocktail, simply a double 105.

• The story of the origins of the British Proof system adds to the 105’s cult status; It is well known that most distilleries evolved from what were originally illicit stills, so the early distillers had a track record of not always been completely honest. One trick was to sell watered down whisky to inn keepers. Hence prior to the invention of the hydrometer the innkeepers devised a method to check the strength. They would add gun powder to the whisky and try to light the whisky, if it did not light, water had been added. If it lit, the whisky was ‘proved’. 105 stands for 5 over proof. 

www.glenfarclas.co.uk