Tormore 1995 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength 28 yo

 

 

 

57,1° (100° Proof)

Distillery : Tormore - Speyside

Refill Sherry Puncheon 

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & MacPhail 

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2024

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

At a time when the Tormore distillery is experiencing a genuine renaissance, it is interesting to revisit older expressions and, where possible, reconnect with their characteristics. Here we have a 28-year-old whisky, matured in a refill sherry puncheon, where the influence of the cask should be subtle, enhancing the spirit rather than masking it. 493 bottles were released for sale. 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

Crushed and slightly candied fruit, Reine-Claude plums, fresh figs, dates, green tomatoes, but it’s a little herbaceous, even bitter, liquorice root, orange zest, damp grass, freshly cut hay. It’s a bit rustic, finally. On the palate, it’s well-balanced and quite smooth, sponge cake, but the fruit is ever-present, in the form of jam, meringue and whipped egg whites. Cane sugar syrup, a few spices, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg. A very long, powerful finish, milk chocolate, waxed wood, fruit jellies, dried apricots. 

 

In Short, 

It’s not bad at all – in fact, it’s very good – but I found the herbaceous notes on the nose a bit lacklustre, and on the palate it seemed a little too smooth to me. It’s still a very good product, but for a 28-year-old, I was expecting better. What’s more, it’s not exactly cheap. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                    To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                             Always Bethany - Chemicals

Tormore 2003 Legacy Casks 21 yo c. 647

 

 

 

48,4°

Distillery : Tormore - Speyside

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Another addition to this extensive range, launched in 2025, named Legacy Casks, which brings together around twenty single cask bottlings showcasing the Tormore distillery, recently acquired by Elixir Distillers. Here is a 21-year-old whisky matured in a first-fill bourbon cask, with a total of 226 bottles produced.

 

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Delicate mineral notes, white grape, Williams pear and white peach, citrus zest, lemon and grapefruit, creamy vanilla, generously buttered toast, all wrapped up in an elegant and refined woodiness. On the palate, the vanilla is lighter, the pear more delicate, the grapefruit more discreet, giving way to almond, lychee, caramelised pineapple tart and a few candied fruits. Spices barely noticeable. The finish is quite good but not very intense, sunflower oil, ripe mirabelle plums, toasts sprinkled with brown sugar, salted butter caramel. 

 

In Short, 

Once again, a very beautiful expression. This range has definitely won me over, although here the alcohol content is a little light, and the slightly excessive richness hides the mineral notes. The balance is not perfect, and I have found other expressions in the same range that are a little better. However, it is still of excellent quality, and although the price is high, it is still attractive, so it would be worth considering purchasing. 

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Elles Bailey - Better Days

Tormore 2002 Legacy Casks 22 yo

 

 

 

48,5°

Distillery : Tormore - Speyside

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

Among the 15 to 20 bottlings released this year in the Legacy Casks range, this one is the oldest. Distilled in May 2002 and bottled in the same month in 2025, it spent at least 22 years and eleven months in a 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel, yielding 140 bottles. Though it is not indicated on the label, several sources confirm that the age is indeed 22 years.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

On the nose, pine resin, candied lemon with some exotic fragrances, it is waxy, even slightly medicinal, and at the same time greedy, ointment and vanilla, a touch of coconut. Then, sand, a few mineral notes, and spices galore, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon. Elegant woodiness. On the palate, lemon coulis, it's creamy with grapefruit and tarte Tatin, ginger. But also blond tobacco, green liquorice, spices mingling with herbaceous flavours. Very long and quite powerful finish, with a pinch of salt, verbena, mint leaf, cardamom, cereal muesli, rustic wheat, malted barley. Crushed chestnuts. 

 

In Short, 

There's real character in there, and that's what I liked about it. Despite its intensity, it's perfectly balanced, with each stage of the tasting flowing naturally from the previous one. Everything seems logical and refined, yet original. It's a real success, and bodes well for what the Singh brothers want to achieve with this distillery. It won't be anything sensible or discreet, it reminds me of Benromach, or even Clynelish. As for the price, however, there's nothing revolutionary about it, it's still quite high, at least not for everyone, since it's sold out almost everywhere, less than two months after its release.

Score : 90

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           King Hannah - This Hotel Room

Tormore 2009 Legacy Casks 15 yo c. 44037

 

 

 

55,9°

Distillery : Tormore - Speyside

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated 

 

 

 

So, nearly twenty Tormore whiskies have been bottled this year alone as part of the new Legacy Casks range. The aim is to showcase the distillery's potential and finally evaluate it at its true value. After all, few people were interested in it before the Singh brothers, owners of The Whisky Exchange and Elixir Distillers, took it under their wing in 2022. Here we have a 15-year-old with a very simple maturation process, which allows us to get to know the distillate better. 227 bottles are available for sale. Please note that there are at least seven bottlings with the same vintage and more or less the same age in the range, differentiated only by their cask numbers, and I cannot guarantee that the profile will be similar in each case, even though the maturation process is exactly the same.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It :  

The nose is more mineral, chalky and rocky notes, quartz and slate, but apart from that it is very mellow, with pulpy fruits, peaches and pears, brioche, cat's tongue biscuits and freshly cut hay. Vanilla cream in the background, which is also found on the palate, lemon tart, beautiful unctuosity, shimmering and peppery spices, mountain honey, butter icing. Delicate woodiness on the finish, long and very powerful, citrus fruits give way to a variety of cereals, dry earth, crushed chestnuts, butter biscuits.

 

In Short, 

It's really very good, the distillate has an intense personality, somewhere between mineral and fruit, butter and cereals. Another successful bottling, which really gives a great image of this distillery, and what's more, it's sold at a very reasonable price.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sippng : 

 

                                           Eliot Sumner - Dead Arms & Dead Legs

Tormore 2012 Legacy Casks 12 yo c. 921178

 

 

 

53,1°

Distillery : Tormore - Speyside

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel 

Original Bottling 

Limited Edition

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2025

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Now that Elixir Distillers has purchased the Tormore distillery, they can't help but release a few casks here and there to show everyone how good it is. This is the Legacy Casks range, which already has nearly 20 bottlings. This one has been aged simply in a first-fill bourbon barrel, allowing us to fully appreciate the distillate. 181 bottles have been offered for sale.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

Mellow nose, sourdough bread sprinkled with lemon, shortbread biscuits, crispy cereals. Smooth wood, suitably toasted and waxed, raisins, thyme and rosemary. Lightly rustic, great finesse. Rare airy and floral notes. On the palate, it is a little more chalky, with laces of quartz and shards of salt, but citrus fruits take over, with a zest of pear, pastry cream, indulgent vanilla. Measured spices, cinnamon and nutmeg. The finish is long, but not at all violent, mahogany, braised lemon, almond paste.

 

In Short, 

It's very good considering its age, with a finesse and variety of flavours normally found in older casks. It's very well made, and the price is very reasonable, which is why it's already sold out on many websites. I recommend acting quickly.

Score : 88  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping : 

 

                                           Hannah Cohen - Mountain

Tormore 1988 Cask Strength Collection Selected By La Maison du Whisky 33 yo

 

 

 

51,3°

Distillery : Tormore - Speyside

2d Fill Sherry Butt Finish

Independent Bottling 

By Signatory Vintage

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Tormore was one of these distilleries designed solely to produce blends. Owned by Pernod Ricard, it was involved in the production of Ballantine's and certainly Chivas. Then, in 2022, Elixir Distillers bought it. This is an opportunity to rediscover this distillery and its identity, particularly through this bottling, finished in a 2nd-fill Sherry Butt, which produced 456 bottles. But it's the age of the beast that really catches our attention.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

The nose is nicely woody, black tea and spices, but very quickly the fruit joins the party, plums of all colours, olives, prunes, melon and yellow apples. A few cereal and herbaceous touches, a tiny pinch of salt, just the right amount of vanilla and honey. Floral fragrances. On the palate, the fruit is fresher, white peaches, Comice pears, with a slightly waxy, mellow texture. Milk chocolate, discreet spices. Long, fairly powerful finish, candied fruit, cloves and nutmeg, farmhouse bread crust, olive oil, lemon zest. Roasted walnuts.

 

In Short, 

A very good whisky, typical of Speyside, both light and intense, with lots of fruit, but also floral and cereal notes. The Sherry is only there to enhance the qualities of the distillate, and the result is very pleasant. That said, it's not a complete success, lacking a little something, a bit of explosiveness on the finish, a bit of depth on the palate, I don't know. The price also dampens enthusiasm, it's very excessive.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Noah Gundersen - Better Days

Tormore 1999 The Single Malts of Scotland 23 yo c. 5174

 

 

 

54,5°

Distillery : Tormore - Speyside

1st Fill Bourbon Barrel

Independent Bottling 

By Elixir Distillers 

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2023

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured

Totally Unpeated

The Singh brothers having bought the Tormore distillery just over a year ago, this bottling is not really independent. In fact, to my knowledge, it is the very first bottling of Tormore to be released by The Single Malts of Scotland. And certainly not the last. This is also a special occasion because it has been selected by La Maison du Whisky to be part of the New Vibrations Collection, so it will be sold exclusively on the French market. 189 bottles have been produced.

 

 

 

Let's Taste It : 

A pastry nose, mille-feuilles and whipped cream, genoise, but also a certain nervousness, green wood, ginger, pepper, tall herbs, cinnamon. A hint of aniseed and lemon. Mellow on the palate, vanilla custard, rum baba, pineapple juice, lychee, and notes of verbena and camomile. Powerful spices combine with citrus to give character. Long, beautiful finish, grapefruit, clove, some earthy notes, humus, but creamy enough nonetheless. Liquorice stick and cereals.

 

In Short, 

All the characteristics of a Speyside, but with a twist of character. It's both light and assertive, classic with a touch of originality. I'm sure we'll be talking more about Tormore in the near future. However, there's nothing exceptional here, just a successful Speyside, with a lovely typicity and a few personal touches. Unfortunately, the price is too high for me to recommend buying it.

Score : 89

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           Sophie Ellis Bextor - Groovejet (If This ain't Love)

Tormore 2000 Connoisseurs Choice Cask Strength 22 yo c. 1252

 

 

 

59,1°

Distillery : Tormore - Speyside

1st Fill Sherry Butt

Independent Bottling 

By Gordon & McPhail

Limited Edition 

Single Cask 

Bottled in 2022

Unchillfiltered, Uncoloured, Cask Strength

Totally Unpeated

 

 

 

Tormore is an unjustly underrated distillery, as most of their production goes to supply Blends, and Long John in particular. It is therefore always interesting to taste a dram, especially this one, aged for 22 years in a single Sherry Butt, which produced 618 bottles.

Let's Taste It : 

Tasty nose, varied cereals and delicious pastries. Mille-feuilles, toasted wheat, muesli, vanilla and white fruits, it's mellow, on pastry cream, scrambled eggs, rum baba, candied cherries. Shortbread biscuits. On the palate, it's fruitier, woody, mirabelle plums, greengages, then the spices rise, rich and intense. A touch of honey and whipped cream. The finish returns to cereals full of indulgence, genoise, crunchy biscuits, a few dried fruits. Fresh figs, a touch of mustard.

In Short, 

Typical of the region, exactly what you'd expect from a Speyside of this age, and with a striking alcohol content. Without being brilliant, it's perfect in its way. Fruity, cereal-like, delicate. Enthusiasts will love it. What's more, the price is very reasonable given the current market, I'd recommend buying it.

Score : 89

                                           To Be Listened While Sipping :

 

                                           The Etc Band - Just the Two of Us