Tasting 4 Tormores

Tormore surely isn't the first distillery that comes to mind when mentioning malt whiskies. But it is famous for its architecture and being the first distillery built in the 20th century, as late as 1958. Lets have some of this hard-to-find single malt.





Tormore 10yo 43% OB

I know this has been produced at 40%abv too. Golden color. It smells of mints, sugary, lemonade, sweet oak, very minty, weird... The taste is perfumy, malty, plastic, rubbery, floral, mint julep, very weird whisky. I can't find any obvious flaws, but this sure isn't malt territory, I mean, I've once tasted a mix of gin and bitter liqueur, that was a bit like this one.

I wouldn't buy a whole bottle without having tasted it first: 3.5


Tormore 21yo 1988-2009 51.9% Alambic Blassique cask#9417

This one was finished for 9 months in a Bas-Armagnac cask before being delivered, so to speak. Another weird one? The color is amber orange. It smells of sweet, cognac, armagnac, same thing isn't it? Heavy cognac notes, more cognac than whisky, with some toasted bread, perfumy and waxy. After some breathing it turns more oaky and malty. The taste is sweet, honey, bitter liqueur, ginger, raw onions, coleslaw, vinegar, lots of wood notes in this one.

The Bas-Armagnac cask is probably saving this whisky from a worse score: 4.5


Tormore 24yo 1988-2012 55.4% Malts of Scotland cask#12043

From a sherry butt. Same vintage as the AC, but a different wood. The color is brown. It smells of bitter, oaky, sherry, red wine, vinegar, kind of raw-ish. The taste is smooth, dry, dry oloroso? Amontillado? Adding some water now. Now it turns sweeter, more honey, cinnamon, touches of caramel and butter. More of a sherried highlander this time. Waxy, a bit like some Clynelishes I've had.

Nice stuff, but remember the water: 7


Tormore 13yo 1984-1997 63.9% Cadenhead's

At this wild strength, I hope this will be a winner.It smells peppery, dry white wine, oily, citrus, lamp oil, rubbery. The taste is a lot of black pepper, dry white wine, parmesan cheese, very drying, but in a good way. Also some rhubarb and smoked ham. This is great quality stuff, and a this strength, water is not needed in this one(!). I'd say its maybe my fav Tormore till this day. Peppery beyond anything else, but together with the great dry flavors this is a winner in my book.

Superb Tormore, where can I find more?: 8



Next tasting: Fettercairn Distillery