Tormore Distillery makes its comeback with single malts
The first ongoing releases from the Speyside distillery since its acquisition by Elixir Distillers in 2022 showcase a fruit-forward character.
Tormore 12 Year Old, Tormore 16 Year Old Sherry Cask, and the non-age statement Tormore Timeless will be available to purchase from The Whisky Exchange from Monday 15 June, and from retailers nationwide on Monday 29 June.
Under the previous owner, Pernod Ricard, Tormore Distillery, located in the Cromdale Hills, was primarily used to produce spirit for blended whiskies including Ballantine’s, Passport, and Chivas Regal.
With the launch of the new core range, Elixir Distillers seeks to champion this often overlooked 1950s distillery as a producer of single malt whisky.
Speaking to The Spirits Business, Elixir Distillers co-founder Sukhinder Singh explains: “It was a spirit I really respected. I knew we had a distillery that could produce good, fruity liquid, but it wasn’t optimised. I knew we could make something long-term that was a lot bigger; we could enrich it.”
Inside the new Tormore bottlings
Tormore Timeless has been aged primarily in Bourbon barrels and bottled at an ABV of 43% without added colouring.
Official tasting notes mention fresh vanilla, lemon zest, peach tea and honeysuckle. It has a recommended retail price of £41.95 (US$56) for 700ml.
Elixir Distillers’ head blender Oliver Chilton tells SB: “Timeless is really our core character. We don’t claim any ownership over the purity and the elegance of our spirit – that’s been there since day one.
“Chivas perfected it, and we inherited stock that really showed that off. We’ve added a small amount of whisky re-racked into Sherry, just to give length and to build up some spice on the back palate.”
Tormore 12 Year Old comprises whiskies matured in Bourbon barrels, toasted American oak casks and casks seasoned with a bespoke cream Sherry.
It is presented at 46% ABV without added colouring or chill filtration, and has an RRP of £54.95 (US$74) for 700ml.
Tasting notes describe a palate of peach cobbler, toasted almonds, coconut, poached pears and cream.
“The 12-year-old is more my take on the community,” adds Chilton. “Like the people I work with, it’s full of character and warmth, it’s nutty, it’s fruity.
“There are 27 people that work at our distillery, and they spend all of their time making some very special liquid. Our job is to care for it, not to overcook it with wood, not to put loads of tannins in it, but carefully mature that delicate spirit to make something that shows off Tormore in the best way.”
The highest-age statement whisky in the lineup, Tormore 16 Year Old, has been finished in American and European oak Sherry casks. Tasting notes include blackberry jam, vanilla fudge, lemon oil and dates.
“I love the 16 because it celebrates Sherry,” says Chilton. “I’m a Sherry fiend, but it’s also in our history. We’ve been filling Sherry casks since the first day of production in 1959, so it’s nice to be able to celebrate that.”
Tormore 16 year old is bottled at 46.8% ABV and is also natural in colour and non-chill filtered. Its RRP for 700ml is £79.95 (US$107).
“Tormore on Steroids”
When west London-based Elixir Distillers purchased Tormore, it reviewed all aspects of production at the site in pursuit of potential improvements.
“We first looked at the barley, we tried four or five different types of barley to see which produced the fruitiest spirit,” shares Singh. “Then we did test trials to find out which yeast gives us a fruitier, more textural style. Then we looked at length of fermentation to find the optimum. Then we looked at cut points.
“It’s still got that peach and pear in it, it’s still got the creaminess, it’s still got that nuttiness, like walnut skin. It’s just a bit richer, it’s fruitier, it’s heavier. It’s Tormore on steroids.”
In addition to making improvements to production, the distillery’s new owners have been vocal about their approach to cask maturation, which prioritises Tormore’s fruity spirit character over pronounced oak influence.
Chilton, who lives on site, shares: “One day my nine-year-old son walked into the distillery and asked Polly Logan, our master distiller: ‘Polly, how do you make peaches and pears?’, and she talked about fermentation and distillation and said: ‘The thing about peaches and pears is they bruise easily, so you’ve got to be very careful.’ And that is how we look at the wood. We’re all about careful maturation, not overdoing the wood, making sure that we maintain that distillate character.”
Chilton has confirmed plans for two further Tormore expressions, which will be released next year.
“We’re going to introduce an 18-year-old and a 21-year-old in early 2027,” he says. “I have one supplier in Kentucky that we’ll talk about next year, who does all of our casks for the 18-year-old. We’re also working really closely with some cooperages in France on fine-grained French oak, particularly around Sauternes, that will make up something for our 21-year-old.”
As well as relaunching Tormore, Elixir Distillers is preparing to begin production at its Islay distillery, Portintruan. The site will be run by distillery manager Georgie Crawford, formerly of Lagavulin.
These latest Tormore single malts follow the release of three ‘teaser’ bottlings last year.
In addition to its two distilleries, Elixir Distillers operates as an independent bottler of whisky and rum.
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