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Cask strength whiskies have not always been available to the general public. In fact, the very idea was incidental, and only materialised in 1968 when a fourth generation member of the Grant family bottled a single cask straight from the warehouse, and sent the bottles to family and friends as Christmas gifts. George S. Grant created a simple, hand written label for the bottles noting only the name of the distillery and the strength of the whisky (which happened to be 105 British Proof.) By the end of January the recipients requested further bottles. George obliged, and since then, Glenfarclas 105 has gone onto become one of the most highly sought after expressions in the Glenfarclas range.

The increasing popularity of cask strength single malts comes as no surprise. They provide an opportunity to taste whisky in its purest and most natural form without visiting a distillery, and conversely, to dilute to your preferred strength rather than the bottler's. Typically, they have minimal or zero filtration which tends to retain more flavour and texture. One has to take the good with the bad. Extreme alcohol can be prickly, and can even anaesthetise the mouth resulting in a less pleasurable experience. A high tax/alcohol ratio also means such spirits can be excessively pricey. If there was a holy grail of malt, then for many it would be the discovery of affordable cask strength whisky that's also achieved balance - to the degree that you can enjoy it undiluted. This is one. There are 'softer' cask strength releases on the market, but rarely in this style and very, very rarely at this price/volume ratio.

Tasting note: Beautiful polished brass / amber gold. Opening pass detects toffee apple, polished leather and juicy, grapey malt. Second pass finds marzipan and toasted oats followed by crunchie bar and intense vanilla. The aromatic range is matched on the palate, delivering a concentrated, medium dry, peppery attack with a delicious interplay between sugar, tannin and spice. Bracing yet balanced. Finishes with flashes of dates, creme-caramel and crunchie bar before drying with oatmeal biscuit, toffee apple and dappled explosions of sweet spice. Those who religiously follow Aberlour's Abunadh will discover similar thrills here. Tremendous whisky. 60% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... long, luxurious, with a pulsing vanilla grape mix and a build up of spices; light oils intensify and elongate. I doubt if any restorative on the planet works quite as well as this one does. Or if any sherry cask whisky is so clean and full of the joys of Jerez. A classic malt which has upped a gear or two and has become exactly what it is: a whisky of pure brilliance. 95.5 points
- Jim Murrays Whisky Bible 2014

...This Scotch is named for the proof (105) of a bottle that Chairman John Grant’s father, George S. Grant, bottled in 1968 as a Christmas gift for family and friends. Nut-colored, it has a markedly bold toffee aroma and lots of flavor and drama. Hazelnut, espresso and cocoa flavors linger, with hints of allspice and drying oak tannins. Though it needs more than a splash of water to arrive at a nuanced sippability, don’t hold that against this almost Bourbon-like beauty. 95 points
- wineenthusiast.com

...I'm really following these seminal NASses, the 104-then-105, but last time I tried it that was in 2017 (WF 86). Colour: light gold. Didn't the 105 lose some colour over time? Nose: I seem to remember quite some sherry used to be involved, but this time we're rather on malty and leafy stuff, fruit peelings, honey-glazed vegetable (try that, eggplants, turnips…) and beers. With water: beers, bitters, roasted nuts, pumpernickel. The blackest, moistest breads. Mouth (neat): I find this extremely good, if a little brutal, which was the whole point anyway. Huge maltiness, roasted nuts, concentrated syrups, artichokes and Brussels sprouts, stout… With water: takes water extremely well, it is ready for the 100 metres freestyle at the Tokyo Olympics. Excellent sweeter maltiness, barley syrup... Finish: rather long, perhaps a tad sweet(ish) but all these breads and grains can't be wrong. Comments: gold medal! What a drop, this 105, one day post-Covid we'll go to the distillery and do the largest verticale of 104-105s that's ever been done. For example, this one was maltier, and less sweet than a 2017 batch.
87 points - whiskyfun.com

Notes from the producer....
Lifted mulberry, black plum and aniseed aromas followed by fresh upfront flavours of cloves and plum with subtle sarsaparilla and black pepper finishing with firm tannins. Varieties: Touriga Nacional, Tinta Roriz, Tinta Barroca, Shiraz, Durif and Tinto Cao. Careful cellaring of up to 20 years or more will reward a patient wine lover. 

Other Reviews....
There is no other fortified winemaker in the world able to match the range and sheer quality of the Seppeltsfield portfolio laid down in 1874 (and nourished each year thereafter), headed by the sublime 100 Year Old Para Vintage Tawny. If this '99 wine were to remain in barrel for another 80 years it would bear resemblance to the 100 Year Old. This perfumed wine has wonderful texture and structure, a mesmerising array of perfumed shortbread, Christmas cake, raisins, butterscotch, intensely rich and sweet until the edge of rancio simultaneously makes it even more complex, yet cleanses the finish.
97 Points
James Halliday's Wine Companion (March 2020)

Other Reviews....
The 2012 Late Bottled Vintage Port is an unfiltered field blend and comes in with 105 grams of residual sugar. It was bottled with a bar-top cork after five years in used French oak. Sexy but elegant, this is chock-full of delicious fruit, sweet on the end and relatively fresh. The mid-palate is just average in depth, but the classic Port flavors are all up front. In its youth, it does have a bit of an exuberant feel despite the freshness. Generally, people don't age LBVs with bar-top corks, but this can hold, if there no cork failure, and develop a bit too. Happily, you can also drink it right now. Drink 2018 - 2025.
90 Points
Mark Squires - Robert Parker's Wine Advocate (April 2018)

Deep dark red colour with a dark red hue. Ripe black cherry, dark plum and anise aromas are trailed by dried herb, earth and spice notes. Rich and ripe the palate is filled with dark plum, anise and dark to black cherry flavours. Lying underneath is toasty oak, earth and spicy dried herbs. Slightly dryish finish, the tannins taking on a grainy feel with a spicy medium length aftertaste.
Drink over the next 3-4 years.
Alc. 14%

Dark red in colour with black tinged edges and a bright red hue. Fragrant violet, red cherry and strawberry scents meld into clove, incense and earth notes. Light in body with a meaty feel the palate serves up a savoury profile of spicy red cherry and strawberry fruits over earth, infusions of incense and subtle dried herbs. Dryish finish with slightly chalky tannins, good freshness and a medium length aftertaste.
Drink over the next 2-3 years.
Alc. 13.5%

Midnight black dark red colour with a deep dark red black hue. Liquorice, blackberry and dark chocolate aromas rise out of the glass followed by vanillin oak and hints of mint. Rich, lush and weighty the opulent palate is awash with ripe blackberry, liquorice and choc mint flavours which overlay a subtle earth and spicy vanillin oak back drop. Velvety tannins concluding long and plush.
Drink over the next 3-4 years.
Alc. 14.8%

Very deep black core with a dark red hue. Expressive aromatics of dark to black cherry and ripe blackcurrant intermix with some liquorice, tobacco, dried herb and spice notes. Medium bodied the palate is generously flavoured with ripe dark to black cherry fruits which overlay liquorice, earthy tobacco characters and spice. Slightly chewy in its feel with a solid tannin structure lending firmness to the medium length finish.
Drink over the next 4-5 years.
Alc. 14.5%

Brilliant water like core with a light tinge of green to the edges. Pungent aromas of passionfruit, herbaceous gooseberries, citrus and grassy asparagus characters fill the nostrils. Racy passionfruit, gooseberry and citrus fruits show terrific intensity and are underpinned by mouth-wateringly crisp acidity. Subtle herbaceous grassy characters and flecks of minerality chime in on the long finish that shows plenty of zip.
Drink now.
Alc. 13%

Brilliant water like colour with a vibrant tinge of green around the outskirts. Intense lime, green apple and lemon scents are followed by talc and subtle wet steel notes. Lemon and lime fruits drive the zippy palate with green apple, talc and wet steel characters lying underneath. Finishes dry with mouth-watering acidity and a zingy aftertaste that show good length.
Drink over the next 4-5 years.
Alc. 11%