Glenfarclas Distillery, Speyside: Six Generations of the Grant Family

Overview

Glenfarclas (“the glen of the green grassland”) is one of the last of the great family-owned Speyside distilleries, run by the same Grant family for six generations. Made below Ben Rinnes on the Ballindalloch estate, its whisky is rich, full-bodied and sherried, and it enjoys a cult reputation for the value and quality of its aged expressions and its long-running “Family Casks” vintages.

The history

Glenfarclas was licensed in 1836, but its defining moment came in 1865, when the Grant family — farmers, not to be confused with the Glenfiddich Grants — bought it. Six generations of J&G Grant have owned and run it ever since, making it one of the very few sizeable distilleries in Scotland still in independent family hands. It was also one of the first distilleries in Scotland to open a proper visitor centre, back in 1973, complete with a splendid panelled tasting room salvaged from an ocean liner.

The water & the land

Glenfarclas is made with soft spring water and snow-melt running off the slopes of Ben Rinnes, gathered on Ballindalloch estate land under a long-standing 1930 agreement. Large stills — the biggest in Speyside — and sherry-cask maturation give the whisky its big, sherried body.

The distillery stands on Rechlerich farm on the Ballindalloch estate, the seat of the Macpherson-Grant family, and has been owned since 1865 by its own Grant family (J&G Grant) — a separate line from the Glenfiddich Grants, but Grants nonetheless. Between the estate and the owners, Glenfarclas is about as rooted in Grant-name Speyside as a distillery can be.

How it’s made

Glenfarclas runs six stills, the largest on Speyside, heated directly by gas flame rather than steam — usually four in use with two held in reserve — producing around four million litres a year with water from Ben Rinnes. It still ages most of its spirit on site in about 68,000 casks, with stock laid down in every year back to 1953, and is famed for its heavy sherry-cask style. It remains independently owned by the Grant family (J&G Grant), and was among the first Scottish distilleries to open a visitor centre, in 1973.

Visiting

Glenfarclas is refreshingly easy to visit: its standard tour is walk-in, no booking needed, while its premium tours (the Connoisseur and Five Decades tastings) should be booked. It opens year-round with hours that vary by season; check the website.

Nearby & more whisky

• Down the road at Ballindalloch: Cragganmore, the Speyside Classic Malt, founded by John Smith who once ran Glenfarclas.
• Its Ben Rinnes neighbour, a mile or so away: GlenAllachie — walk-in friendly, no booking needed.
• Down the hill: Aberlour.
• Further down the Spey: The Macallan (book months ahead) and Craigellachie.
• Along the estate road: Ballindalloch — the single-estate distillery.
• Planning a day of it? Our Speyside Whisky Trail lays out this stretch as a touring base.
• The whole picture: Scotch whisky — regions, distilleries & the oldest of all
• On the slopes of Ben Rinnes: Benrinnes, first swept away by the 1829 flood

Sources

• Glenfarclas distillery — Wikipedia.
• Glenfarclas / J&G Grant; Scotchwhisky.com Whiskypedia.