Blind Summit Secret Speyside 42yo & Cadenheads Glenfarclas 22yo Authentic Collection October 2024

Blind Summit Secret Speyside 42yo

Region: Speyside

ABV: 47.6%

Price: £250.00 (50cl)

Distilled on 14th January 1981, this release was bottled in 2024 at 42 years old after being exclusively matured in an oloroso cask. A total of 78 bottles were released. The whisky itself is rumoured to be from Glenfarclas.

Nose

The nose opens with soft raisins, sticky dates, a little worn leather, warm toffee sauce, hazelnut praline, a handful of red berries and warm oak spice. The sherry influence is unmistakable, however it's impacted the spirit in a mellow, integrated manner. The alcohol is well balanced, present, but acting in a supporting role to the spirit and cask aromas. Time and air brings out more aromas of red kola, fizzy cherry sweeties and cola cubes.

Palate

The palate opens with dark chocolate and raspberry confectionery, cocoa beans, medium roast coffee, cherry glaze, a little grape must, and burnt caramel. It's not super sweet, it falls into the earthier, nuttier, drier type of sherry maturation, with tobacco leaf, black pepper, dried leaves and apple skin. The mouthfeel is good, a little thinner than we'd like, and we're finding a touch of menthol, light eucalyptus on the good length finish.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has a slightly fizzier, more acidic quality to it, fresher red fruits, a little sherry vinegar, red berry compote, but there's still a deeper, earthier, leathery quality. The water has reduced some of the intensity of the nose, and for that we're a tad disappointed, so we'd suggest caution when adding a drop.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate isn't much different from the unreduced version, there's lots of chocolate, coffee, dried leaves, leather, caramel and dark brown sugar. The mouthfeel and finish remain mostly the same, we'd say that the water isn't needed here.

Conclusion

It's a pleasure to taste something older than the both of us, and from a distillery famed for the quality of their sherry casks. This refill oloroso cask doesn't disappoint in the slightest, it's balanced, rich, complex and really quite tasty. There's a reason we enjoy refill sherry maturation for 25+ years, it does something irreplicable to the spirit. Older whisky isn't necessarily better, but this is an 8.5/10 for us.

Score: 8.5/10

Value

It’s a lot of pennies, but we’re doubtful you’d find something comparable for less.

Cadenheads Glenfarclas 22yo Authentic Collection October 2024

Region: Speyside

ABV: 51.8%

Price: £155.00

This 22yo release has been maturing in an oloroso Hogshead since 2019. 306 bottles were released.

Nose

The nose opens with Irn Bru, cinnamon sticks, candied ginger, candied almonds, light brown sugar and toffee brittle. There's also sherry vinegar, old dusty books, leather handbags, oxidised metal and a bit of coriander seed. It's a fairly old style sherry nose, with hints of a fresher, fruiter, character on top of those old wood aromas.

Palate

The palate opens with dark chocolate, warm torched figs, spicy ginger batons, fudge, and cinnamon spice that lingers onto the good length finish. It's quite warm on the palate, more so than we would have expected for the ABV, mostly showing as ginger and pink peppercorn spice. The mouthfeel is nice, it's got a syrupy consistency, and we're finding more leather, warm toffee sauce and dates as the dram develops in the glass.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose falls a little flat, we're getting muted aromas of toffee, cinnamon, clove, dates and some sherry vinegar in the background. It feels like it's lost a lot of character, but perhaps we added too much. We're still getting some chocolate and orange bitters in the background.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has a bit more orange up front, peel and pith, but has a lot more wood as well.. moving into milk chocolate with molasses and some sticky date pudding. The mouthfeel and finish remain mostly unchanged, but the spice has definitely mellowed which is nice to see.

Conclusion

We enjoyed this dram, lots of oloroso character with a solid base spirit. Our biggest criticism is the heat on the palate, it throws the dram out of balance for us and we'd think it was mid-teens if we were trying it blind. Saying that, there's lots to like here so we'll go for 7.5/10.

Score: 7.5/10

Value

We’d have loved to have seen this cheaper, but indie Glenfarclas always seems pricey.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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