Familia Torres moves into whisky

Spanish brandy and wine producer Familia Torres has entered the whisky category with the launch of blended Scotch brand Liathmor.

Known for producing its namesake brandy, Torres has revealed its inaugural whisky, created in partnership with La Martiniquaise-Bardinet. The French company is behind blended Scotch brands Label 5 and Cutty Sark, and Speyside single malt Glen Moray.

The new 40% ABV expression is made with 20% Speyside malted barley, 40% grain aged for three years to provide ‘fruit and freshness’, and 40% grain aged for five years, which offers ‘structure and density’ to the palate.

The resulting liquid is described as ‘easy to drink’ with a complex profile. The nose brings notes of vanilla, apple and pear, honey and compote, alongside flavours of malted barley and oak with a ‘light smoky finish’.

The whisky takes its inspiration from a story that dates back to 1891 when a well-known explorer climbed Ben Macdui, the highest peak in the Cairngorm mountains, and the second highest in the British Isles. The explorer experienced a rare sighting of a creature known as the ‘Greyman’ (Liathmor in Gaelic), which is said to haunt the summit, according to Scottish folklore.

“It’s the first time we’re entering a category beyond grape, but it’s also one of the biggest categories, where we see there is a lot of opportunities,” Christian Visalli, global spirits director of Juan Torres Master Distillers, told The Spirits Business.

“We wanted to have a whisky that is very approachable and not only for the traditional whisky drinkers. It goes within the competitive benchmark for Johnnie Walker Red and Ballantine’s Finest.”

The whisky will initially launch in the Baltics, Mexico, Spain and Canada.

Juan Torres Master Distillers is the spirits division of family-owned company Familia Torres.

In addition to producing Spain’s biggest-selling brandy, Familia Torres’ spirits portfolio includes Chilean pisco El Gobernador, orange liqueur Magdala, and Casals vermouth.

Last month, Mexico’s José Alberto del Toro was named the winner of the Torres Brandy Zero Challenge 2024 for his sustainable glass bottle initiative.