Tormore 1998 13 Year Cask Strength (Gordon & MacPhail)

Distilled Sep 8, 1998. Bottled Jan 20, 2012 at 58.8%. Matured in first fill bourbon barrels Tormore is an indie superstar. I can’t think of a better example of a distillery that so often has outstanding cask strength IB bottlings and yet does not have a well-known original bottling. Maybe Ben Nevis or Bladnoch? Tormore is highly dependable to be beastly when given the no-BS, cask strength treatment by an independent bottler. This whisky is your grandmama’s lemon meringue pie if you could set it on fire with a lighter. There is a dusting of cocoa powder, sticks of vanilla, and unripe mango. This finishes with vanilla, honey, and loads of alcohol and spice burn. The experience is archetypal Scotch, and reminds me of Glen Grant 18, if it had balls. And that’s not a sexist comment or a knock against Glen Grant 18 – it is the best Scotch according to Jim Murray. But, some situations, you want your company to have chest hair; and, other situations, you don’t. I’ve tried adding water to this, and it doesn’t help. It takes the edge off the alcohol burn, but I admire how this whisky goes all out for the creamy lemon narrative at the beginning, and water just removes that precision in purpose. Score: * (unforgettably good) How much does a bottle cost: $80-120 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $130

Amazing amount of flavor which is long lasting and experienced on the mouth, tongue, throat, and chest. The nose can be almost overpowering.