Glenfarclas 70 Year Old Surprise

GLENFARCLAS RELEASES OLDEST EXPRESSION TO DATE

Press Release June, 19th, 2025

"Glenfarclas, one of Scotland’s few remaining family-owned and managed distilleries, has today announced the release of its oldest whisky to date.

Distilled on 20 November 1953, the Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old marks a pinnacle in the distillery's legacy, embodying over seven decades of meticulous ageing and expertise.

Matured in the distillery’s traditional dunnage warehouses in Speyside, this release was laid down in first-fill sherry casks. The whisky has been overseen by six distillery managers over the past seventy years and will now be available to purchase internationally.

The 70-Year-Old is an exceptionally rare Glenfarclas. When it was distilled back in 1953, 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 re-purposed as the tun room. This remarkable whisky comes from one of the few remaining casks of this era.

Courtesy of Glenfarclas Distillery

With only 262 bottles available globally, the Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old is a landmark release that embodies rarity, provenance, and heritage.

With its polished dark teak hue, the Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old invites you in before the first sip. The nose reveals stewed fruits, and a gentle touch of Speyside peat. On the palate, rich notes of dark chocolate, spiced dried fruits, treacle toffee and deep coffee unfold in layers. The finish is long, evolving, and deeply satisfying - a rare whisky that lingers, both in flavour and memory.

John Grant, chairman and fifth generation of the Grant family to have owned and run Glenfarclas distillery, added:

"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.

We take great pride in maintaining complete control over every aspect of production, preserving our time-honoured traditional methods -

Chairman John Grant

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.

Releasing it now marks a true milestone, and one that Callum and I have considered carefully and with great respect for its legacy.”

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 the same distinctive Glenfarclas ‘red’ secondary packaging the series is known for, the understated packaging marks a deliberate choice by the family to let the whisky speak for itself, while remaining true to the brand’s values of simplicity and integrity.

Callum A. Fraser, Distillery Manager at Glenfarclas commented:

“This is true Glenfarclas and this expression 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.

Distillery Manager Callum Fraser in Warehouse No.1

The warehouses are still here, holding decades of stories in their walls. At the heart of it all, tradition remains key.

“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.”

The Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old will be available globally from June 2025 through a select network of specialist retailers in over 50 markets. The recommended retail price is £20,000 (UK), subject to regional variations.

Glenfarclas 70-Year-Old tasting notes

 

Colour: Polished dark teak with a subtle gleam - richly hued but not overly dark.  

Nose: Soft and smooth, with gentle tannic undertones that never overwhelm. Opens with aromas of stewed fruits and traditional Scottish dumpling. 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."

About Glenfarclas:

Glenfarclas Distillery was first licensed in 1836, and the Grant family has been producing the finest Highland single malt Scotch whisky, renowned across the world, at Glenfarclas Distillery since 1865.

Located in the heart of Speyside, the independent family-owned and managed distillery creates handcrafted single malts using traditional distillation and maturation methods.

Glenfarclas has two core ranges that can be purchased globally: the Aged Range and the Family Cask Range along with special limited-edition whiskies.

The oldest family-owned distillery in Speyside, family members are, and always will be, fully involved in each and every element of the business. For more information on Glenfarclas visit www.glenfarclas.com

Press Release End

Ausführlicher Hintergrund (Background Story) zur Geschichte der Speyside Distillery Glenfarclas.

Einen fotografischen Rundgang bietet The Gateway to Distilleries

Some Glenfarclas Impressions