Old Malts with Old Friends - Glenfarclas 25 and Highland Park 21

We're posting from Great Barrington as 2012 comes to an end. And looking back on the past year, there's no sense writing about the RedSox, who had a catastrophic season, and now seem to be floundering toward another unsuccessful campaign. We could write about the Orange, who seem to have picked up where they left off last March. Only thing is that it's really too early in the season and who wants to jinx their chances as conference play begins?  So let's post about a topic where many of us had precedent-setting years -- a topic about which all of us can agree -- and a topic that brings good cheer to all as we welcome the New Year.  I'm talking whisky, of course.

We have gathered in Great Barrington once again to celebrate the New Year, and have brought some malts to share with old friends. What's different this year is the quality and rarity of the whiskies we are sharing -- all thanks to G-Man and his friends, the Carey's. I thought we had a good line-up of whiskies at the Ball last summer; and we did, primarily because I had taken advantage of singlemaltsdirect.com. But G-Man has brought some exceptional malts to GB this winter -- not just great whisky, but legendary whisky. However, that's for another day. Today, we intend to post about a couple outstanding, and still readily available malt whiskies -- Glenfarclas 25, and Highland Park 21.

Joe Howell at Federal Wine and Spirits claims that Glenfarclas is the best malt one can buy for the money. That's exactly what The Bottle Shop in St. Andrews, Scotland told G-Man's friend, Sean Carey. So then it must be so. From the standard issue 12, up through the higher registers, this whisky is more favorably priced than almost all of its competitors. Whether it's the 17, that one can occasionally find behind better stocked bars, or the 21 that I picked up from singlemaltsdirect.com for under $100, I have to agree with Joe and the folks at the Bottle Shop -- Farclas delivers big bang for the buck.

Chuck brought the Glenfarclas 25 to GB, to share with old friends. It's 43%. Color is gold - surprisingly bright for a malt that sat so long in the cask. We got all sorts of notes from the nose. There's a bit of citrus, orange mainly, and then lots of vanilla, maybe a touch of caramel. Peggy detected a hint of the forest floor, autumn leaves. All in all, a beautiful and complex nose.  On the palate, the 25 opened up nicely with just a couple drops of water  There were two characteristics that stuck us right away, a thick mouth-feel, and a softer character than one would expect for such a full-flavored malt. But its most distinguishing characteristic was, as one would hope for a 25 year-old malt, its long finish. And not just long, but rich as well. That's one of the pleasures of drinking an old whisky. You can take your time, sip slowly, lingering over the glass; but all the time you're sitting there, maybe talking whisky, perhaps reminiscing about old times -- maybe even telling the Carvel story for the five-hundredth time -- the flavor of the malt remains in your mouth with no change in its character. And best of all, you can enjoy this great whisky, if you can find it, for a not-exorbitant price.

We compared the Farclas to HP 21, which is bottled at 47.5%. We all know and love Highland Park; it might be the favored all-around whisky for many readers of MannyMontaigne. But here was a chance to comment on the 21, which we've had far fewer chances to sample over the years. The color is a bit darker, less gold and more amber. Chipper found the nose is more pungent than the Glenfarclas. We had trouble locating the specific notes within the nose: G-Man detected some citrus, Susan, who has a highly developed sense of smell, found pepper; and Andy reported that, "The nose burns my nose." That must be some sort of Zen koan, or maybe Andy was just overwhelmed by the rich HP aroma. Who knows?
We also found it hard to describe the flavor of Highland Park, because to us, it's so recognizable. We have become so familiar with the flavor of HP, that we've stopped caring whether it's citrus, or caramel,  a touch smoky, or as Peggy said, sweet tree bark. What it is, is Highland Park, but richer, smoother, and longer lasting than the younger whiskies. Like the Glenfarclas 25, this HP 21 had a long, satisfying, and rewarding finish.

These are two great malts, and I don't mean they're just good. There are wonderful. And although you have to reach above the normal price range, neither one is outrageously priced. And both deliver good value for the money spent. Save them for a special occasion, or maybe just drink them with old friends. Either way, you won't be disappointed.