Glenfarclas
An Independent Distillery Book, by Ian Buxton
Glenfarclas
The family-owned distillery that everyone speaks fondly of, Glenfarclas was established in 1836 by Robert Hay, who owned the distillery for 3 decades before the Grant family arrived on the scene. It has never left their hands since. The nearest anyone has gotten to owning the distillery was the infamous Pattison company in 1895, who subsequently went bankrupt 3 years later and almost took the distillery with them. The Grant’s vowed never again and over 120 years later, that’s proved to be the case. Glenfarclas has been associated with sherry casks and an impressive maturing inventory as displayed in their family cask range. It remains one of the top-selling single malts worldwide because of its dedication, consistency and affordability. Their age statement range, compared to other Speyside distilleries, doesn’t cost the earth and is widely available. The Glenfarclas character has many fans, thanks to quality casks, direct-fired stills and the use of rummagers, which add to the quality of the whisky.
