Duncan Taylor 'An Iconic Speyside' [Glenfarclas]

The Maker

The Octave series is from independent bottler Duncan Taylor. The story of Duncan Taylor goes back nearly 90 years to 1938 where they were founded in Glasgow as a cask brokerage. After several decades blending whiskies and exporting them around the world the company was acquired by an American named Abe Rosenberg. He then unsurprisingly focused on building that business through premiumisation (sounds familiar) by ensuring that every blend produced was made of the best single malts he could get his hands on.

This work continued into the 21st century where ownership returned to Scotland following Abe's death. With it came a series of new releases and product ranges as the present day single malt boom was in its infancy. Alongside this the company also branched out into gin. Yet on the international stage the engine driving this diversification was the relaunch of the popular Victorian blended scotch Black Bull in 2009. Unlike many scotch blends Black Bull is famous for having a close to 50:50 malt and grain mix, which in theory secures greater flavour than more common, grain dominated blends.

While still based in Scotland it seems that the company is now formally registered in Texas, so I'm unsure where full ownership now lies. Nonetheless, from a single malt perspective it is the Octave range which has held the most interest in recent years. This consists of finishing whiskies in heavily seasoned quarter casks (another name for Octaves) which limits outruns to fewer than 100 bottles. Given this it seemed like a good place to start exploring what Duncan Taylor has to offer.

The Expression

'An Iconic Speyside' distillery is of course Glenfarclas. It has to be said that Glenfarclas really lives up to such a name as in whisky terms they really only make one thing: heavily sherried goodness that is easily among the best the region has to offer. Yes Speyside also has beasts likes Aberlour and Mortlach, but when it comes to pure sherried nirvana then it is always going to be Glenfarclas that you really want.

The distillery was founded in 1836, but it was the transfer of ownership to the Grant family in 1865 which set it on its current course with the fifth generation currently running operations. In that time very little has changed where it matters, with current production capacity reportedly being around four million litres - although it is unlikely that such numbers are reached in practice.

Given this family ownership it isn't surprising that to some Glenfarclas is considered the Springbank of Speyside. While that comparison may highlight some rather idiosyncratic practices, when great whisky comes out the other side, no one is really going to complain.

What it also means is that independent bottlings can be few and far between. And when they do, like this one, they often don't contain the official name for one reason or another. In this case it is unclear whether there is any direct connection between Glenfarclas and the Aberdeen Whisky Shop for whom Duncan Taylor produced this exclusive release. I suspect there isn't given the number of similar releases they have produced for other retailers in recent years.

In this case the whisky was distilled in 2010, before being matured in an ex-sherry cask for 13 years - including a final three months in one of Duncan Taylor's Octaves (these are small (50-70l casks which give an extra kick to maturation given the high surface area to volume ratio. Such casks are used to great effect by the likes of Laphroaig and Mackmyra).

As noted above the outrun is as a result rather limited, with this being bottle number 60, of just 91 released. When you get an actual bottle number you know it is exclusive! That release happened in 2024 at a strength of 54.9%. As you'd expect the presentation is fully natural. Despite all this the cost was just £60 ($80USD) in a pre-Xmas sale back in 2024.

The Neck Pour

The first whiff gives a strong burn on the nose meaning that the cask strength is immediately present. This is followed by a huge dose of vanilla and a rich and heavy sherry. You get the instant sense that there have been some very high quality and active casks involved here, likely Oloroso. So strong is this sherry and alcohol that it's more like a big, young Spanish brandy.

These flavours are all delivered upon by the palate where there is a deeply satisfying sherry sweetness that's a lot like a well aged Bunnahabhain. And just like those Bunnas this profile is very accessible once you get over that alcohol.

The Body

With some time to open up on the shelf this is still all sherry bomb. But it is now easier to separate some of those flavours on the nose. There are plenty of chocolate covered raisins, dates and figs in there which combine to produce something not too far away from a panettone drenched in brandy.

On the palate there's also a lot more vanilla char now - I presume from that Octave. There’s also a thick creamy texture to it which rewards a slow sip over an hour or so. This all ends with the development of some bitter and woody notes on the finish.

This is all pure Glenfarclas brilliance. While some of their younger core releases can be a bit flat, this reminds me of the power and complexity of one of their older releases like the 25yo, despite being only 13 years old.

Final Thoughts

In the latter half of the bottle I've been experimenting with bringing the strength down with a bit of water. Doing so unlocks a lot more sweetness on the nose in the form of muscovado sugar and burnt caramel. It also tones down those brandy notes.

What’s lost with water however is that rich creamy texture on the palate. Everything, as you’d expect is now a lot softer, with the taste shifting towards even more bitterness with lots of cask influence coming through and a tiny hint of minerality.

Glenfarclas is one of those distilleries which I’m appreciating more with time. My first experiences of it were unremarkable. Too sweet and simple, especially the 105 which does little for me despite its popularity. Yet as the years pass I’m loving what they do more and more. This is a great example of what can be achieved with that extra kick from an independent bottler. I will definitely be getting more of this kind of thing in future.