Review by: Raygun

Tormore is one of those distilleries I don’t think about a whole lot. I’ve only had one that I recall, and it seemed like a competent Speyside. One of the newer group of distilleries from the early 1960s. It was bought by Elixir Distillers (owners of the Elixir IB brands and The Whisky Exchange) in 2022, with plans to refocus it as a single malt. This will presumably include an OB core range at some point. Thanks to dustbunna for the sample and pic. Initially sampled blind, with additions after the reveal in italics. Rested about 15 minutes.

---

Distilleries: Tormore 

Bottler: Signatory Vintage

Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch 

ABV: 43% 

Age: 21 years. Distilled in 1995 and bottled in 2016  

Cask type: Hogshead #20003

Color: 1.2 chestnut. Natural color and chill-filtered.

---

Nose: Smells like Scotch for sure. Malty and a little grassy, and there seems to be some sherry influence. Getting some dried fruit, apples, plums, and citrus, orange especially. Very malty for sure. Not sure what I was thinking with sherry influence. There is some dried fruit, but more like dried apples.

Palate: Familiar and homey. Caramel, nuts, and shortbread. Not so much citrus now, and more raisins and plums. There is a bit of lemon glaze and clotted cream. I doubt it’s cask strength, more like 46-48%. I notice more apples now and it comes across as fresher. More green grapes than raisins. Great mouthfeel for 43%. Doesn’t seem too thin. Nice creaminess to it. 

Finish: Caramel shortbread, apples, plums, and toasted almonds. Again something familiar about it. Not too sweet, just nicely balanced. Green apples and clotted cream.

---

Guess: Sure does seem familiar, like a distillery I’ve had before, though that doesn’t narrow it down a whole lot. Didn’t get any young notes but not much age either; call it 14-15 years. Mix of casks with percentage of sherry in there. Probably 46%. Likely to be an OB. Got some Arran vibes from it, so I’ll guess Arran.   

Post-reveal thoughts: I’ve made worse guesses for sure. The sherry aspects seemed all in my head, but close on the ABV anyway. Haven’t had enough Tormore to identify it readily, and I’m not surprised my mind didn’t go there.  

Conclusion: I’ve never given much consideration to these 43% Signatory bottlings, but I should rethink that. This is good and doesn’t come across as weak at all. Good mouthfeel, good finish, and that’s where the lower proof bottlings typically don’t hold up. I still can’t say I find a whole lot distinctive about Tormore, but this is a very pleasant summer pour. Great for sipping on the porch on a nice evening, which is exactly how I’m finishing this sample. 

Score: 81

Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)