Single Malt Whisky, Scotland/Speyside

Built in 1958 for Long John Distillers by the architect Sir Albert Richardson (1880-1964), Tormore was the first distillery to be founded in the Highlands in the 20th century. After being bought by Pernod Ricard in 2005, in 2022 it became the property of Elixir Distillers, the company founded by brothers Sukhinder and Rajbir Singh, two of the greatest whisky experts and collectors in the world. Its single malt is made with the Laureate, Fireworks and Sassy varieties of barley, undergoes long fermentation (50-100 hours) and is used in the famous blended Scotch whisky Chivas. Characterized by luscious dimensions of malt, fruit and spice, this bottling is transcended by magnificent sequences of medicinal notes and heady florals.

Nose: Refined yet rich. A wonder of freshness and balance, the nose reveals herbaceous notes of green barley and cut hay, lemon, tropical fruit (pineapple), vanilla, subtle medicinal (ointment) and William’s pear aromas. Allowed to breathe, abundant spices (pepper, clove, nutmeg) fill the air.

Palate: Lively, dynamic. Drawing out the spice from the nose (ginger, cinnamon), the palate is invigorated by citrus fruit flavours (grapefruit, lemon). With time, delicious milky notes (custard tart, coconut) delicately coat the taste buds. Gradually, vibrant flavours of liquorice and tobacco punctuate the second stage of the tasting.

Overall: Elegant, full. Alongside creamy malt (barley grain, porridge) and salt notes, the finish is marked by autumnal flavours of lichen and an array of herbal infusions (verbena, sage, chamomile). The retro-nasal olfaction is particularly heady and expressive (iris butter, cardamom, fresh walnut) and focuses on menthol, resin and malt.