Tormore 10 yo (70 proof, OB, UK, late 1970s)
Many of these batches can be excellent, although I don't know the UK ones as well as the various import versions at 43%. Colour: straw. Nose: wonderful old school fruitiness that incorporates white stone fruits, green fruits and exotic ones such as papaya and mango too. Lightly waxy and mineral as well, typical old style profile and wonderfully clean and pure with it. Mouth: even at 40%, the weight of the distillate carries through extremely well. Lots of soft waxes, citrus rinds, oily sheep wool impressions, soft peppery notes and wee touches of camphor, olive oil and shoe polish. Finish: medium, slightly minty, peppery once again, waxy and showing a return of those fruitier qualities in the aftertaste. Comments: extremely pleasurable old drop that's highly exemplary of this wonderful old style profile that's all about waxes, minerals and fruits. Only a slight lack of power will prevent it technically reaching the 90 mark, but it's soulful and beautiful old whisky for sure.
SGP: 551 - 89 points.

Tormore 11 yo 2011/2022 (50.5%, Hannah whisky Merchants 'Dalgety', casks #8003 + 8004, refill sherry hogsheads, 550 bottles)
From the good folk behind Lady Of The Glen. Colour: straw. Nose: bailed hay, straw, flower nectars and honey on oatcakes. I also find white flowers in vase water, wee hints of aniseed and sweetened children's medicines. With water: darjeeling tea, a hint of rosewater and some lighter grassy tones. Mouth: fuzzy peaches, tinned pineapple and breakfast cereals dusted with icing sugar. Surprisingly sweet and candied in fact, with some nice notes of gooseberry and mango pulp. With water: as on the nose it becomes more nimble, grassy and playful. Lemon rind, plain cereals and wee hints of IPA and heather ale. Finish: medium and on citrus oils, grass, sweet cereals and IPA again. Comments: very easy wee Tormore with a pleasing natural sweetness.
SGP: 541 - 86 points.

Tormore 12 yo 2010/2022 (59.3%, Watt Whisky, rested in a rye barrel for 14 months, 222 bottles)
Not sure 14 months counts as a rest? More a sabbatical. Colour: pale gold. Nose: you can just about see the strings on this rye and it works very well with these nice notes of fresh custard pastries, dessert wines and honey. I also find a little eucalyptus and flower blossom. A lovely sense of richness about the nose. With water: becomes juicier with notes of green melon, fruit jellies and banana bread. Mouth: sharper than expected with green apple, cooking oils, crushed nettle, young calvados and lime sherbet. There's a sense of spiciness from the wood but it's pretty restrained overall. Those custard notes come back given some time. With water: sweetness to the fore with runny honey, orange muscat wine and hints of red liquorice and date molasses. Finish: good length, impressions of bruised cooking apples, more custard, more sweet wines and sultana. Comments: Watt Whisky seem to increasingly specialise in these kinds of 'direct to the point quaffing whiskies'. This one certainly fits that bill, a very tidy wee Tormore with a clever finish.
SGP: 641 - 87 points.

Tormore 23 yo 1995/2019 (50.8%, The Single Cask, cask #20095A, 102 bottles)
I'm late with this one… Colour: deep coppery gold. Nose: superbly rich and bready, behind that damp potting shed earthiness, pipe tobacco and sultanas. Apples baked in armagnac, soft liquorice, leather and hessian. A classical and excellently robust sherry style. With water: that bready quality still dominates but here it subdivides into brown and white breads, toasted seeds, chestnuts, dark ruby ales and goes towards wee hints of umami seasonings and stocks. Mouth: crystallised citrus rinds, various shades of marmalade, slightly dried out aged fruit liqueurs, aged apple brandy and impressions of shoe leather, dried tarragon, strong green tea and mineral oils. Surprisingly fat and rich with these persistent earthy, leathery and bready vibes. With water: lemon verbena, boozy dark chocolate gateau with cherries, wintergreen and even more of these subtle but definite medicinal herbal qualities. Finish: good length, warming, very slightly medicinal, more breads, chocolate, fruit liqueurs and sweet liquorice. Comments: no quibbles here, this is a terrific cask of Tormore. Seems like Tormore and good sherry dance extremely well together. What a shame there were only 102 bottles, it's an extremely pleasurable dram.
SGP: 661 - 90 points.

Longmorn 10 yo 2011/2022 (55.8%, Lady Of The Glen, cask #974, 1st fill bourbon barrel, 246 bottles)
Colour: bright straw. Nose: custard tarts, gooseberry, green apple, grass and things like trampled nettles and warm porridge run through with honey. Also some very slightly sappy notes, crushed flower stems and vase water. A modern and sweeter style that's very hard to be against. With water: more flower stems, glasses and also breads, crisp green apple notes once again and crushed oatcakes. Mouth: loads of custard, baked apples, cinnamon breakfast cereals dusted with brown sugar. Also some pineapple jelly beans, shoe polish, lemon verbena and sweet citrus curds. With water: a little more peppery, some hints of clay and canvass, along with more of these nicely juicy fruity notes that incorporate pineapple, bubblegum and heather honey. Finish: medium and on wood saps, honeys, dried flowers and orange juice. Comments: easy, sweet, simple and very pleasurable young Longmorn. Although, where the distillate ends and the 1st fill barrel begins is hard to determine - not that that's a complaint mind you.
SGP: 641 - 86 points.

Longmorn 11 yo 1989/2000 (62.3%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society 7.18)
We're expecting rocket fuel… Colour: pale straw. Nose: fresh barley and oatcakes with something a little lactic and bready in the mix too. Raw ingredients, natural sweetness and simplicity. But perhaps a tad boring… With water: still this slight milkiness, along with soft honey notes, crushed oatcakes, green apple and barley water. Mouth: zing! Rather hot but also surprisingly sweet with pineapple jelly beans, confectionary notes, white mushrooms, shoe leather and cigarette rolling tobacco vibes. Quite a bit more entertaining than the nose, which is fun. With water: nicely peppery now with watercress, mustard powder and green peppercorns in oil. Also a hint of tarragon Dijon mustard - which I just bought a large jar of before Christmas for a frankly outrageous and embarrassing price which I refuse to admit here (was worth it though, utterly delicious!). Anyway, rather a mustardy whisky on the palate I think. Finish: medium, once again on mustards, pepper and even a little saltiness. Comments: a little mundane on the nose, but this one threw off some whacky and fun qualities as it went along. The SMWS bottled many such curiosities during this era I think.
SGP: 461 - 84 points.

Longmorn 28 yo 1973/2001 (46%, Wilson & Morgan, cask #3970, sherry hogshead)
Colour: reddish amber. Nose: wonderfully earthy with many medicinal roots and herbs, herbal bitters, cough medicines, liquorice and treacle. A big and punchy mix of things like bouillon, salted caramel, rosewater and umami seasonings. Dried dark fruits and some feelings of incense and mango tea. Mouth: big, dark, chocolatey and with many bitter herbs, pickled walnuts and tar extracts. Also verbena, tarragon and salted liquorice. A very big and perhaps slightly too tannic sherry profile for me. Goes on with cough syrups, more herbs and deep dark chocolatey flavours. Finish: good length, very herbal, nicely bitter, more salted dark chocolate, liquorice, dark fruit liqueurs and peppery notes. Comments: these old 70s heavy sherry Longmorns never fail to impress, I just tend to prefer them on the more playfully fruity side. This one is just a tad too heavy and brutal for me, but still an excellent drop of course.
SGP: 472 - 88 points.

Longmorn 28 yo 1969/1998 (56.3%, Signatory Vintage '10th Anniversary', cask #4254, 220 bottles)
Colour: gold. Nose: tight but gorgeously sharp and fruity. Citrus, green and exotic fruits all vying for prominence. There's also a grassy and crushed nettle aspect which invokes rather exotic New Zealand sauvignon blanc impressions. Add to that minerals, wood saps and various fruit teas and subtle waxes. A fruity glory this nose! With water: citrons, hand cream and a feeling of pollen-heavy flowers, warm greenhouses and olive oil. Warming, densely textured and complex. Mouth: waxed canvass and wood saps with pollens, dried mint, tea tree oils and camphor. Mentholic and medicinal with wormwood and cough medicines. Still very fruity but those exotic fruit notes are more crystallised and preserved. With water: gets broader and fatter in texture. More oils, resins, teas and impressions of peppery waxiness, putty, syrupy green and yellow fruits and a nicely resinous and gently medicinal edge. Finish: long, herbal and waxy with wee resinous and crystallised fruit notes dominating the glowing aftertaste. Comments: not as much of a total fruit bomb as some other 1969 Longmorns, but the combination of fruits, waxes and soft, herbal medicines is hugely impressive and satisfying. Quite a complex example I think.
SGP: 762 - 92 points.