Tormore 11 Years Old 2014 Cask #1236629 (Brave New Spirits)

Bottled by Brave New Spirits, this Tormore, an 11 year old release from 2014, drawn from cask 1236629 and bottled at 55.3%. Just 268 bottles were filled. Set a mile south of the River Spey, Tormore has distilled since 1960. Purifiers on the spirit stills keep the spirit light and clean.

It was drawn off the distillery's swan neck stills with their purifiers, for a delicate, ester rich spirit. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, lending honey and vanilla. At a youthful age the fruit is lively and the almond clear. A slightly oily texture carries the cask flavour over the clean spirit. 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 its natural 55.3% it is concentrated. A gentle vanilla from the wood, 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.