GLENFARCLAS RELEASES OLDEST EXPRESSION TO DATE
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.
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 - 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. 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.