Review #713 - Single Malts of Scotland Tormore 8 Year Single Cask - Storied Company Selection

Here's another under-the-radar distillery, although it's currently experiencing something of a revival: Tormore. This gorgeous Speyside distillery was owned by Pernod Ricard/Chivas from 2005 until 2022, when it was purchased by independent bottling company Elixir Distillers; the vast majority of the production previously went into blends such as Ballantine's, but going forward, much more will be bottled as single malt.

Still, it was possible to get a taste of Tormore distillate via independent bottlers in the past; here's an example from the brand Single Malts of Scotland (funnily enough, owned by Elixir Distillers, who went on to purchase the distillery). This is a single cask selected by specialty spirits retailer Storied Company in Indianapolis, Indiana; the bottle sports a bold 8 year age statement, as well as a punchy strength of 58.3% ABV.

Maturation was done in an ex-bourbon barrel, meaning we should get to see the real character of this distillery's spirit, especially since this is bottled at a relatively young age.

Single Malts of Scotland Tormore 8 Year Single Cask - Storied Company Selection

Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt

Price: USD 94 (2025)

Age Statement: 8 Years

Strength: 58.3% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon barrel

Details: Cask 123776; distilled April 6, 2015; bottled October 5, 2023; 238 bottles

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 9 months; bottles at 70%, 100%, and 80% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Light, sweet, and malty, with barley sugar, hay, and fruits like lemon and pear drop candies. Lemon-lime soda, lemon curd dessert, and spun sugar are other sweet accents; it grows more creamy with time, but the focus is always on the barley.

Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick. It's warming and fruit-forward, with sweet apple and softer notes of melon and banana. Malty spirit is again strong, accented by white pepper, hay, and a floral note that grows stronger over time. There's just a tickle of sour flavor to the fruit at times; we get a bit of mint on the back end.

Finish: Warm and spirity, a mix of sweet and tart. Notes of light honey, lemon, and apple are balanced by peppery oak, grass/hay, linen, and floral flavors. There's just a prickle of youth at the end; it's a long finish.

Final Note: This single cask from Tormore, Elixir, and Storied Company definitely doesn't hold its punches - it's warm and spirity, not afraid to show off that malty character that the distillery is known for. There's a nice array of fruit and grassy grain flavors, and we enjoyed the unusual banana and melon notes in the palate especially. There is a bit of youthful spirit character hanging around as well - no surprise, given the 8 year age statement and strength, but we found that it gave this a nice vibrancy.

Value here is around average; this is full of flavor, and we enjoyed the chance to try a new distillery that's hard to come by in the whisky market.

Our Average Rating: 6.8 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 6.01

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.