Glenfarclas has excelled in the Scottish Field Whisky Challenge. The Family Casks 1990 cask number 9246 has achieved an index score of 3.96, the 5th equal all time top score, since the competition started seven years ago. Richard Joynson of Loch Fyne Whiskies described the 1990 as ‘A superb example for dark sherry-matured fans’.

Meanwhile in the same blind tasting Charlie MacLean awarded his highest score to date in the competition to The Family Casks 1974, cask number 5786. He wrote ‘A bright, well-aged nose: fruit and nuts, dark toffee. Drinks very well straight: sweet to start, with some smoke; mouth drying. Even better with a dash of water. Magnificent. My first ever 5!’.

In the competition distillers are invited to submit two bottles to the Scottish Field, who then decant the whisky into smaller unmarked sample bottles, to be forwarded to the judges. The judges, who sample the whiskies blind, are drawn from a selection of Scotland’s leading whisky merchants and whisky bars.