Tormore 14 y.o. (Batch No. A1409)

43% abv

Score:  81/100

Man, this one is long overdue.  It was a gift from a really good friend of mine.  And not just any gift, but a ‘just because’ gift.  One of those singularly heartwarming occurrences that should have at least merited my having reviewed it in a timely manner.  Not that that was expected or anything, but the public acknowledgment kinda ups the ante on the sincerity of thanks in a way.  Or so I believe, anyway.

Moving on.  Tormore.  A distillery from which we see very little breadth.  In fact, to date, this is the only official bottling I’ve ever seen.  But 14 is a neat little gateway into the heart of this Speyside malt.  A little more mature than most entry level expressions.  We appreciate that.  We’d probably appreciate it a bit more if it was offered at 46%.  Alas, beggars can’t be choosers.  And ultimately – especially for the price point – this is a fairly rewarding dram.  Spectacular?  Not even close.  An evening session dram?  Unquestionably.  Pop the cork with a couple mates and toss it.  Call it a night when the bottle’s dry.

One last note…I love this packaging.  Crisp, clean and elegant looking.  I know that means very little in the grand scheme, but it pleases the hell out of the eye nonetheless.

Nose:  Quite pleasant on the nose.  Almost ‘Fiddich-ish, if I had to compare it to something.  A liberal dousing of citrus.  Hints of apple, orange and cranberry.  Toasted marshmallow, nuts and vanilla.  Sour hard candies.  A drop of rum and a jigger of orange liqueur over sponge cake.

Palate:  Fairly substantial arrival for a 43%er.  Tart and zippy.  Almost wine-y, but not overly so.  Apple, black currant.  A quick note of oily dried fruit right out of the bag.  Fairly malty.  A little too much oak in the mid to back half.

Thoughts:  More a noser than a sipper, but decent all told.

– Images & Words:  Curt