Tormore 12 Years Old 2008 Cask #8228375 (Duncan Taylor)

Duncan Taylor selected this Tormore, a 12 year old from 2008, drawn from cask 8228375 and bottled at 55.2%. 81 bottles in all. Tormore was opened in 1960 in Speyside, near the Cairngorms, and it is now owned by Elixir Distillers. The distillery is sometimes called the white cathedral of Speyside for its grand design.

Distilled on soft Speyside water through purifier stills, building the firm, clean Tormore style. Ex-Sherry wood added a dried fruit richness to the clean make. Younger here, it keeps a clean, nutty freshness over orchard fruit. Most Tormore matures off site, much of it in refill ex-Bourbon. Heat recovery condensers and sub coolers run alongside the purifier stills. The soft water runs through heather and peat and granite before reaching the distillery. The distillery doubled from four stills to eight in 1972, then settled back to four pairs. It has used wood chips from local forestry to fire its stills since 1984.

Undiluted at 55.2%, it is layered. Sherried dried fruit and a nutty edge come through, and a light, nutty fruitiness meet honeyed oak sweetness underneath. Beneath it run almond, apple and a soft spice. It closes clean, nutty and dry. This is a light, nutty Speyside single malt.