
February 14, 2018

Tormore vertically

It’s well known that Tormore’s one of the fruitiest malts there ever was, and we’re talking fresh fruits here. It’s to be noted that fifteen years ago, not all indie Tormores were stellar, but in my opinion, the distillery did up their game again around the late 1980s… Well, that’s what the whisky chatterati say. Vitamins, here we come…

Tormore 12 yo (40%, OB, +/-2017)

I last tried this baby, under the very same livery, in 2009, but this is a newer expression. Which is good news since the older one had been rather weak (WF 72). Colour: pale gold. Nose: indeed, some improvements may have occurred, as I’m finding this nose perfectly fruity, with ripe red apples and rather papayas, then even passion fruits. I find it much, much less mashy and grainy than last time I tried Tormore 12. Mouth: surprise surprise, this is very fine, delicately fruity (fruit salad) and, well, really pleasant. Touches of mangos and passion fruits again, just two drops of pear juice, and then breakfast cereals. Just any, really, I’m no expert. Finish: a tad short, perhaps, but the lovely fruitiness is still there. Comments: very commendable, and quite closer to the superb old white labels from the 1960s and 1970s. Which says a lot… Bang for you buck!
SGP:641 - 85 points.

Tormore 2002/2017 (45%, Gordon & MacPhail, Private Collection, Côte Rôtie Wood Finish, 4000 bottles)

I have to say this Côte Rôtie thing is scary. Love my northern Syrahs, but just like, say Nebbiolos, I don’t think those wines tango too well with malt whisky. But let’s see… Colour: apricot. Nose: well, a pile of coal and bags of potpourri and dried rose petals, with hints of raspberries in the background. Not too sure what to think, I’m not finding the nose of this premix unpleasant, not at all. Mouth: starts rather soft, but the very spicy wood and the notes of bitter oranges and tamarind from the wine are soon to come to the front of the stage, together with these leafy and leathery notes that would often come with French oak and red wine. Also prunes, damsons, blood oranges, and more raspberries. To my amazement, this rather works, maybe because the fruity spirit and the wine do kind of converge here, for once. Finish: medium, not too wine-y, and very fruity. More blood oranges. Comments: so a finishing in red wine that actually worked pretty well in my book. Probably not a monster of a Côte Rôtie, having said that.
SGP:651 - 84 points.

Tormore 20 yo 1995/2016 (59.4%, Hunter Laing, Old Malt Cask for HNWS Taiwan, refill butt, cask #HL12137, 248 bottles)

This one straight from the very active Taiwanese whisky scene. Colour: deep gold. Nose: ah, tarte tatin made with both sliced apples and apricots, plus some orange honey, marmalade, and plenty of figs. I suppose the sherry made this Tormore a tad rounder, and less freshly fruity, but the end result is most appealing. Although some whiffs of maracuja do appear in the back of the background after two minutes. With water: perfect, moss, herbs, rainwater, porridge… And all the fruits to boot. Mouth (neat): perfect, just perfect indeed, zesty, slightly mentholy, and moderately raisiny. Crush a banana, add mint leaves, drizzle honey, add orange juice, add two drops of olive oil, three raisins… And there. With water: gets more citrusy, so cleaner and zestier, which is always welcome. Did I write perfect? Finish: long, fresh and full at the same time, perfect. Comments: indeed, perfect. An impressive fresh fruits / light sherry combo.
SGP:651 - 89 points.

Tormore 20 yo 1995/2015 (53.1%, The Single Cask Collection, bourbon hogshead, 220 bottles)

This one stemmed from Austria and some say it would go well with Schnitzels. You’re right, rather Streussels. Colour: gold. Nose: look we knew about 1988 at Tormore, but it seems that 1995 was very fine too. This one’s a little more branche-y, having said that, less immediate, a tad grassier… But it’s got some marvellous citrus too, and I find it very elegant. With water: a little soap (saponification) but that’s normal, let’s wait a little longer… Well, not quite, water wasn’t quite useful here, but after all, 53% vol. is nothing. Mouth (neat): extremely good, perfectly zesty, with superb blood oranges and just touches of mangos. Love the grassiness that keeps it tight and focussed. With water: works this time, I’m finding very pleasant notes of earl grey tea. Green earl grey rather than black. Finish: medium, well balanced, and rather mandariny, as they say in China (oh come on, that was weak, S.!) Comments: these Tormores always work. And let’s just forget about the 1970s – mid-1980s distillates if you please…
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Tormore 19 yo 1995/2015 (55.7%, Chapter 7, bourbon hogshead, cask #20159)

Already found some lovely ones in this series. Colour: gold. Nose: this one’s almost as fruity as the lighter ones, but it’s got more wax for sure, beyond some rather massive notes of butter pears and oranges. Actually, we’re nosing a whole basket of citrus fruits. With water: perfect hints of minerals, chalk, and paraffin that complement the citrus to perfection. Mouth (neat): citrus, citrus, and citrus, with all the peel. Quite spectacular in that respect, but of course, you have to like citrus – but who doesn’t? With water: multi-vitamin fruit juice, rather towards lemons and grapefruits this time. Some sour garden fruits as well, rhubarb, gooseberries, redcurrants… Finish: rather long, on just very same very citrusy notes, plus a little sweet barley. Comments: these easy yet full-bodied Tormores are hard to beat within the fruity malts cluster.
SGP:651 - 87 points.

Tormore 24 yo 1992/2016 (54.3%, Signatory Vintage, bourbon, casks #5694 + 5695, 338 bottles)

Colour: pale gold. Nose: same huge fruitiness, but rather towards a western orchard this time, with apples and greengages, plus custard and barley water. Little citrus this time, but this is just as lovely. Growing notes of pastries, croissants au beurre, rolls, raisin bagel… With water: a few mashy notes, buttered mashed potatoes, muesli, bread dough… Mouth (neat): no, wait, lemons and grapefruits are back! Very zesty, sharp, angular, and perfect. Love this, it’s almost some bone-dry white Sancerre by one of the best makers. Excuse me? Indeed, or Pouilly-Fumé. With water: so simple, so great. Swims extremely well, and really goes towards multi-vitamin fruit juice. And these wee pink bananas… Finish: medium, very fruity, but not extravagant and, as some malts can get, cloying, not in the least… Comments: Tormore’s a little name that does improve on acquaintance, I’d say.
SGP:651 - 88 points.

Tormore 25 yo 1992/2017 (55.9%, Hunter Laing, The First Editions, refill butt, cask #13311, 434 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: a very minimal sherriness, and a whole basket of fruits, some tropical, some from our beloved European orchards (although, with global warming, we’ll soon grow pineapples in Alsace the way it goes… Some barley syrup, ripe apples, mirabelles, small mangos, honey, pollen, fresh hazelnuts (hope no one will mention that dreadful Nutella)… With water: very nice humussy notes, fern, almost mushrooms… Perhaps the faintest whiff of gunpowder, but I may be dreaming. Mouth (neat): didn’t the butt previously shelter some peater? Or a tighter malt such as Clynelish or Highland Park? Great waxy minerals, branches, grapefruits, then rhubarb, drops of barley water again, ideas of peat smoke… With water: becomes even more branche-y, well it’s possibly the least fruity Tormore we’ve had today. And yet, it’s excellent. Finish: medium, grassy and pretty waxy. Fruit peelings. Comments: a Tormore that’s a little Clynelishy, why would we be against this?
SGP:552 - 87 points.

Good, grouped fire today. But it’s not impossible that there will be a Part Two…

Check the index of all Tormore I've tasted so far