For most of its existence the Glenfarclas core range followed an orderly procession of even-numbered ages, 10, 12, 15, 17, 21 and 25, with the odd celebrated outlier such as the cask-strength 105. The 16 Year Old, when it eventually arrived, slipped into the line-up without much ceremony, a quiet addition rather than a relaunch.
That restraint is characteristic of the place. Glenfarclas has been run by the same Grant family since 1865, and successive generations have shown a marked reluctance to chase fashion. Where other Speyside houses have layered their core ranges with finishes and limited editions, Glenfarclas has continued to bottle straightforward sherried whiskies at modest strengths and modest prices.
The 16 sits comfortably between the brighter 15 and the more contemplative 17. Cask policy is unchanged, oloroso butts and hogsheads filled in the warehouses below Ben Rinnes, and the additional summers in wood deepen the dried fruit and oak without tipping into the heavier weight of the older expressions.
If the 15 is the one that converts newcomers and the 21 the one collectors talk about, the 16 is the bottle a regular Glenfarclas drinker tends to keep on the shelf for a Tuesday evening that needs gentle improvement.
