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
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