Tormore 12yo Roslin Distillers
Single Cask Independent Release | 63.5% ABV
From Ben Nevis, With Love
Let’s start this Tormore review by first mentioning Ben Nevis.
Why? Because Ben Nevis’s Distillery Manager for many, many years was Colin Ross. Thirty years to be exact, from 1989 until 2020. And as many readers of this site have come to learn, Ben Nevis has developed a cult following amongst enthusiasts. So when Colin, along with his son, Aaron Ross, start a company, it’s worth paying attention. That company is Roslin Distillers.
Sadly, Colin Ross passed in 2021, but his legacy lives on through Roslin. The name is a combination of the last part of “Colin” and the first part of Colin’s wife’s name, “Rosie”. Roslin Distillers was formed in order to release family bottlings, and this Tormore is one of but a handful that have come out.
Tormore has been described as one of the most beautiful distilleries, which is unexpected for something that has been a blending workhorse since distillate first ran off the stills in 1961. None of its owners, from Long John Distillers, to Allied Distillers, then Pernod Ricard since 2005, bothered to build a visitor centre, and only a few distillery bottlings have been done over the years, primarily limited to 10 and 12 year olds.
Come 2022, however, with Sukhinder Singh & Elixir Distillers’ acquisition of Tormore, it became clear that Tormore’s future as a single malt would be bright. And along with that, they’re building a visitor centre as well.
Like many people, I don’t have much experience with Tormore. I am aware of the poor/mediocre reputation of some of their 80’s and 90’s distillery bottlings, but have also had a couple older single malts from Gordon & Macphail and Cadenhead’s that were quite good.
My interest peaked, however, after attending a Sukhinder tasting at the Whisky Show in 2022 that featured a tremendous Tormore 10 from the 70’s. That bottle, along with my respect for Sukhinder’s taste buds, has made me Tormore curious.
Review
Tormore 12yo, Roslin Distillers release, single cask #801013, 2010/2023, Refill bourbon barrel, 63.5% ABV
£120 paid
Nose
This is classic, clean ex-bourbon. Heaps of vanilla pod, white grapes, honeydew melon, and some barrel char. Ethanol burn on the nose, which isn’t surprising at 63.5%. Water brings lemon rind.
Palate
Baking spices upfront, with more vanilla. A bit too spicy and brash for my taste at full proof. Barely sweet burnt caramel. Some sweet and sour underripe stone fruits dancing with some bitter char. Add a touch of water and you’ll find yourself saying “more water” a couple times in a row. A long finish of lingering baking spices. Eventually the burn subsides and tart lemon comes forward, always with vanilla and pepper/spice remaining the mainstay. Some melon but it’s very much in the background.
The Dregs
It’s well constructed, and by that I mean it was made with precision. No mistakes were made here, but neither are there eccentricities or winding roads on this dram’s journey.
On a note of personal preference, with something of this level of complexity (read: simplicity), I tend to prefer something bottled at an ABV that makes it instantly drinkable for my first dram of an evening or (summer) afternoon (see photos for that setting). But even without that preference, I would argue that this was bottled at too high an ABV. It’s a bit too hot for my taste out of the bottle, and water may tame the burn, but it doesn’t add much in terms of flavour.
The £120 asking price adds to the tension. Even though Tormore is relatively uncommon, you’ll find equally appealing stats from a recently released Cadenhead’s bottle (12 yo Bourbon Barrel Tormore at 61.8%) for just £55. Although I can’t speak to the quality of that bottle, its existence does add context to this review. Regardless, I cannot conclude without unequivocally stating that I like this dram, it’s definitively good, and there will always be a place on my shelf for something of this quality and flavour profile.
Score: 6/10
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