Tormore to the fore


July 10, 2026

Tormore to the fore!

I know, another slightly daft headline, but we have all been following the adventures of Tormore since its takeover by Elixir and Sukhinder and Ollie's merry gang. These are the first regular official bottlings under the new regime, and we had been looking forward to tasting them. Who knows, perhaps the NAS already contains whisky distilled by the new team? We shall have to check, although I am not entirely sure that would even be possible. In any case, as usual, we shall not be able to resist the comparison game, if only by way of a single little independent bottling, with which we shall begin.
(Photograph Tormore)

Tormore 12 yo (46%, Douglas Laing, Premier Barrel, 310 bottles, +/-2025)

‘A Scintillatingly Silky Speyside Malt’ according to the very honourable bottlers, who have always had a knack for dazzling turns of phrase on their labels. We love it, whisky could certainly do with a little more fun. Those flat earthenware bottles have often raised a smile too. Colour: very pale white wine. Nose: we have rarely come quite so close to whitecurrants, tiny wild apples, green pears and gooseberries. The influence of the cask, refill or otherwise, is almost entirely anecdotal here, and we are certainly not about to complain. Mouth: a delightfully tutti-frutti eau-de-vie, with just a few drops of honey and barley syrup. Apples take the lead throughout, rather in the style of Rochelt’s Gravenstein, which we are particularly fond of, before a small glass of international lager joins the party, your favourite will do nicely. Finish: a little short, though pleasantly grassy, with those little apples refusing to let go. Comments: simple, pretty charming, honest, straightforward, dependable and properly commercial.
SGP:441 - 82 points.

Tormore ‘Timeless’ (43%, OB, 2026)

I rather like the idea of calling this new baby ‘Timeless’ instead of ‘No Age Statement’ or ‘Ageless’, they could even borrow the same sort of semantics for ageing Hollywood actresses, it would have a certain elegance, would it not? In any case, this one combines bourbon with a touch of sherry. Colour: white wine. Nose: immediately richer in texture than the previous one, with gentle touches of paraffin alongside rather more grapefruit, while those familiar apples make a most welcome return. Behind them sits a little custard, always in moderation, together with a few fruits in syrup, greengages in particular. It is all very nicely balanced. Mouth: here we find ourselves rather closer to the previous expression, with lively, wonderfully fresh orchard fruits taking centre stage. Pears, apples, peaches and mirabelles all working in perfect harmony. Finish: good length, with a few lemony touches providing an extra kick, rather like a nitro kit on a Harley. No, only joking. sWe do rather enjoy the arrival of quince in the aftertaste. Comments: a very pleasant surprise, a far cry from those NAS bottlings that so often represent, in Speyside, the very bottom of the barrel, so to speak. I know, I am exaggerating again.
SGP:551 - 84 points.

Tormore 12 yo (46%, OB, 2026)

A marriage of cream sherry, first-fill bourbon and virgin oak. One has to say the master blender had quite a task on his hands finding the right balance, unless, of course, the bourbon makes up 95% of the vatting, though I rather doubt that is the case. Colour: light gold. Nose: it is fascinating to compare this baby with Douglas Laing’s 12-year-old, which was as naked as Venus rising from the waves. Here there is far more vanilla, a faint touch of charcoal, rather more maple syrup, ripe bananas, liquorice wood and even, if you care to dig a little deeper, a delicate hint of gentian. The whole is pleasingly creamy, even more textured than the Timeless, and we are particularly taken by those tiny notes of artichoke that emerge after a few moments. Mouth: a combination of gentle spices that almost brings a Thai dish to mind, coconut, ginger, lime, lemongrass, coriander, you get the picture. Finish: the whole affair lingers rather well, all it really needs now is the prawns. There is, in any case, a lightly peppery and minty aftertaste. Comments: this exotic side is tremendous fun. If you have always been looking for a malt to accompany your pad Thai or your pisang goreng, your search is over. I must admit that, at one point, I feared the finish might become too oaky, but not in the slightest. A lovely piece of work.
SGP:551 – 87 points.

Tormore 16 yo (46.8%, OB, sherry cask, 2026)

This time it’s a marriage of cream and oloroso sherries, matured in both French and American oak. Let us see whether they have once again played with the limits without ever quite crossing them. A bit like Federer, if you will. Colour: gold. Nose: there is plenty of cask influence, that much is obvious, walnut shells, bags of English Breakfast tea, hay, freshly mown lawn, but also praline and Swiss milk chocolate. I say ‘Swiss’ because the Swiss generally seem rather more generous with the milk in their chocolate, or so it appears to me. Lovely touches of camomile as well. Mouth: rather in the style of the official 12-year-old, only even spicier, with more lemongrass finding its way into your Thai broth. I rather think that, if you are going to pursue a distinctive style, you may as well embrace it wholeheartedly, and in that respect, I find this very successful indeed. The sherry brings extra green walnuts, nocino, Nusswasser and all the rest of it. Finish: long, spicy, almost Caribbean in character now, with chilli and coconut milk making a late appearance. Comments: I rather think they have found a style of their own, something quite different from the other Speysiders, and that alone is rather clever. Better still, it is very good indeed, thanks to, or despite, you may decide, the use of rather very active casks. The only trouble is that I am quite incapable of telling you whether I prefer the 12 or the 16. As I sometimes say, I should need a double magnum of each before reaching a verdict, and that would, quite obviously, be… lethal.
SGP:561 - 87 points.

Check the index of all Tormore we've tasted