Tormore 10 Years Old

A distillery bottling of Tormore, a 10 year old release and bottled at 43%. Set in the Spey valley near Grantown, Tormore has distilled since 1960. It was the first new malt distillery built in Scotland in the 20th century, raised for the booming Long John blend.

The spirit was made in copper stills whose purifiers keep the spirit light, for a light, nutty make of real clarity. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, with vanilla under the orchard fruit. Younger here, it keeps a clean, nutty freshness over orchard fruit. Long, gentle ageing turns the green spirit towards honey and nut. For most of its life its spirit vanished quietly into blends rather than into bottles of its own. Elixir Distillers bought Tormore in 2022 and are reviving it as a single malt brand. Most of the spirit matures off site, much of it in refill ex-Bourbon wood. The distillery sits near Grantown-on-Spey, in sight of the Cromdale Hills.

At 43% it is supple and nutty. Vanilla and a light cream from the barrel, with pear, almond and a citrus lift. The texture is light and slightly oily, the nut threaded through. A gently drying, nutty finish lingers. This is the malt of Speyside's white cathedral.