Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Tormore.
Bottler: Signatory Vintage.
Region: Speyside, Scotland.
ABV: 43%.
Age: 21 years. Distilled in 1995. Bottled in 2016.
Cask type: Refill hogshead.
Price: $88 USD for 750mL.
Natural Color. Chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 6 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: green melon, peaches, peach blossoms, grass, somewhat musty, grapefruit zest, cotton candy.
Palate: medium-thin ~ effervescent on the tongue, more grass, cereals, more green melon, minerals, quite austere, honey, candle wax, grapefruit, spiced pears.
Finish: medium length ~ a strong, bitter edge, more melon and peach, waxes, more honey, fresh linen, goes toward the bitter side, some candied grapefruit (and some of the pith as well.)
Conclusion: This was fascinating whisky, with lots to like about it. The shelf price for this dusty Tormore was quite good for its age, and reflects a time near a decade ago when 20+ year old IBs were readily available here and didn’t cost an arm and a leg. It definitely tastes its age as well, given time to rest in an inactive cask it brings a bouquet of Speyside-y rich fruits and flowers underpinned by wax, effervescence, and spice. At the same time, it also has this rather bitter element (especially in the finish) that takes over, detracts from the experience, and drags it down for me. This is my first Tormore, and it’s tough to score (not just because the distillery is still pretty new to me.) There’s quality, delicious malt here, and also a couple of flaws that ultimately are hard to ignore.
Final Score: 82.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 