Tormore 9 Years Old 2015 Cask #324 (The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd.)

A Tormore single malt, selected and bottled by The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd, aged 9 year old from 2015, drawn from cask 324 and bottled at 50%. 396 bottles in all. Tormore, built in 1958 by Long John Distillers near Grantown-on-Spey in Speyside, is one of Scotland's most striking distilleries. It was designed by Sir Albert Richardson, a President of the Royal Academy, in a grand ornamental style.

It was worked through swan neck stills with purifiers, for the light, clean, nutty make Tormore is known for. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, lending honey and vanilla. At this age the spirit is fresh and nutty, the apple and citrus bright. Refill oak lets the clean, nutty distillery character lead. 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. For most of its life its spirit vanished quietly into blends rather than into bottles of its own.

At a full 50% it is intense yet nutty. Apple, citrus and a soft almond meet a quiet vanilla from the refill oak. The mouthfeel is light, the fruit carried on a nutty body. Almond and a dry oak see out the finish. This is a clean, citrussy Speyside single malt.