08/03/2021 Tormore

Tormore 29yo 1984/2013 (53.9%, www.whiskybroker.co.uk, Barrel, C#3674, 107b): nose: an initial whiff of crusty bread from the oven makes way for warm green olives, olive oil, then warm bread again (ciabatta, artisan rolls). A bit of breathing brings squid ink, marjoram, a pinch of red-wine-stained earth and antique cabinets (jam sideboards) covered in patina. The nose walks that tightrope between worldly elegance and country rusticity with brio, and I can see this pleasing the city dweller as the (wo)man of the earth. More time brings more fruit and woody notes, now dark cherries, blackberries and ginger bread, but also bicycle tubes (faintly). The second nose adds milk chocolate to the equation (or chocolate milkshake, on second thought), as well as roasted cocoa beans. The longer it sits in the glass, the closer to lime it ends up nosing. Mouth: the attack is perfectly calibrated, with enough horsepower to grab one's attention, without feeling aggressive. Baked dark cherries, simmering blackcurrant and blackberry compotes, a topping of cinnamon-stick shavings, a drop of elderberry cordial, and a spoonful of nigella seeds in a bowl of strawberry yoghurt -- incidentally, the texture is that of strawberry yoghurt too. The second sip carries some chocolate, in the same way as the nose did. The tingling on the gums hints at spearmint, or diffuse, crushed lime leaves. Dried lime zest, maybe? Finish: big and elegant, the finish glows, washing over the tongue and palate in waves of crushed fruits (strawberry, dark, blackberry and blackcurrant), cinnamon and liquorice shavings, perhaps even a sprinkle of aniseed. Like the nose and the palate, the finish veers towards lime, in the long run. It is, again, zest, rather than super-acidic fruit flesh. Imagine PiM's with a lime or pomelo filling (LU, if you read this blog: make it happen!) It is woody in that it has spices, but it stays on the right side of too much; in fact, it is a masterclass in balance. Amazing Tormore. 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)