Tormore 12 Years Old 2010 Cask #8238303 (Duncan Taylor)

From Duncan Taylor comes this Tormore, aged 12 year old from 2010, drawn from cask 8238303 and bottled at 54.4%. Just 82 bottles were filled. First built between 1958 and 1960 in Speyside, near the Cairngorms, Tormore is a grand Speyside distillery. Water comes from the Achvochkie Burn, flowing off the granite hills above.

Distilled on soft Speyside water through purifier stills, building the firm, clean Tormore style. Maturation in a sherry cask laid dried fruit over the nutty malt. At a youthful age the fruit is lively and the almond clear. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the nutty, citrussy core over time. 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.

At a hearty 54.4% it carries real weight. The Oloroso adds figgy fruit and a warm nuttiness, and a nutty, orchard fruit sweetness sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. A green apple and a citrus note lift it. It finishes clean, fresh and nutty. This is the architectural jewel of Speyside in a glass.