Glenfarclas Family Reserve £511.19s.0d Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Earlier this year, Grants introduced the new £511.19s.0d Family Reserve to celebrate the 150th anniversary of family ownership of the Glenfarclas distillery. On the 8th of June 1865, John Grant, first generation of the Grant family, bought the distillery for £511.19s.0d. His grandsons, John and George, later formed the company and to this day it remains an independent business and firmly in the hands of the family’s 5th & 6th generations.

This non-chill filtered, 43% expression is a vatting of predominantly first fill sherry butts which proudly embodies the distillery’s typical sherry profile. A copy of the original bill of sale is included with each bottle along with a note from George Grant explaining the significance of the £511.19s.0d label.

According to Glenfarclas, expect "Sweet and rich sherry, like a toffee syrup over a freshly toasted French baguette, the nose promises fresh fruit smothered in heather honey, ending almost like a sweet port. Then a dry yet sweet taste, a lovely balance of fruit, light nuttiness and milk chocolate develop, followed by a very palatable long and easy finish".

Putting this family achievement into perspective, the time and dedication taken by the Grant’s to create a consistently high quality whisky for well over a century should not be underestimated. Within an industry where economic booms and recessions are omnipresent, the art of balancing and anticipating the worldwide demand for whisky is no easy feat. Yet the Grants pushed on through the changing landscape of the whisky industry, as more and more distilleries were bought over by international conglomerates, as drinks portfolios expanded and aged single malt took to the fore. Over the years they have witnessed an entire transformation of distillery ownership across Scotland, resisting company proposals for the purchase of their very own distillery and choosing instead to be governed by no one other than themselves.