Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old: the oldest ever distillery release
Glenfarclas is releasing its oldest whisky.
Distilled on 20 November 1953, Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old was laid down in first-fill sherry casks and has spent seven decades maturing in the distillery’s traditional dunnage warehouses in Speyside. Six distillery managers have overseen this Scotch whisky. It was created the same year Salk announced a polio vaccine. That Queen Elizabeth II was crowned. Mount Everest was first conquered. A lot has changed since then.
That’s true for the distillery, too. When Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old was distilled, the malt barn would have been a hive of activity at the heart of the distillery, with barley being hand-turned on the malting floors. Today, the old malt barn has been repurposed as the tun room. With only 262 bottles filled at 42.9% ABV, it is one of the few remaining casks of this era.
Glenfarclas 70-Years-Old. Incredible, isn’t it?
Glenfarclas releases oldest whisky: 70 years matured
At 70 years old, this is the oldest release in the Glenfarclas Warehouse Series, surpassing the 30-, 35-, and 40-Year-Old expressions. Presented in classic Glenfarclas red, the understated packaging marks a deliberate choice by the family to let the whisky speak for itself.
The whisky has a polished dark teak hue, and we’re told the nose reveals stewed fruits and a gentle touch of Speyside peat. On the palate, it’s said to boast rich notes of dark chocolate, spiced dried fruits, treacle toffee and deep coffee in layers, while the finish is described as “long, evolving, and deeply satisfying”.
Glenfarclas is respected for being not only a fine producer of whisky, but doing so while remaining one of Scotland’s few family-owned and managed distilleries. “As Chairman of a family-owned distillery, I am committed to overseeing the production of our exceptional malt whisky, just as my forefathers did before me,” says John Grant, chairman and fifth generation of the Grant family to have owned and run Glenfarclas distillery. “We take great pride in maintaining complete control over every aspect of production, preserving our time-honoured traditional methods, most notably, the use of direct-fired stills, which creates a robust and full-bodied spirit.”
“Remarkably, this particular cask has been maturing almost as long as I’ve been alive,” Grant comments. “Releasing it now marks a true milestone, and one that Callum and I have considered carefully and with great respect for its legacy.”
Since this barrel was filled, the world has become a different place
The Glenfarclas DNA is kept alive
It was in 1953 that the double helix structure of DNA was first described. Since we have come to understand the polymer as the bedrock of identity. For Callum A. Fraser, distillery manager at Glenfarclas, the new 70-year-old is a true Glenfarclas that captures the very DNA of the distillery.
“What we did 30 or 40 or even 70 years ago is very much what we still do today. The warehouses are still here, holding decades of stories in their walls. At the heart of it all, tradition remains key,” Fraser explains. “This whisky has waited seventy years to be enjoyed. Through wars, the reign of a queen and now a king, the world has changed — but this spirit has endured, and it stands as a rare and timeless testament to patience and craft.”
Indeed. The Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old will be available globally from June 2025 through a select network of specialist retailers with a recommended retail price of £20,000.
Glenfarclas releases oldest whisky: 70 years matured!
Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old tasting notes
Nose: Soft and smooth, with gentle tannic undertones that never overwhelm. Opens with aromas of stewed fruits and traditional Scottish dumplings. A delicate thread of Speyside peat – drawn from the slopes of Ben Rinnes – adds a lightly earthy, smoky nuance. The sweetness deepens, revealing layers of fruit compote, honeyed malt, and a quiet richness.
Palate: Dark chocolate laced with sherry-soaked dried fruits gives way to a refreshingly spicy tingle on the palate, leading to a bold thread of rich, roasted coffee. The mouthfeel is luxuriously coated in treacle toffee, creating a full-bodied, indulgent texture.
Finish: The finish lingers and effortlessly clings to the roof of the mouth. Delicate peat resurfaces, rolling gently across the tongue with a green, grassy echo of Speyside origins. This is Glenfarclas to its core.
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