Tormore 28 1988 Sansibar Spirits Shop Selection [MYSTERY]

To recap: xile_ (his real name, really) had us all over for a mystery lineup. I brought brownies. That’s really not useful to the review. Well, I didn’t have them until the whiskies were done, and drank tons of water between each dram. Maybe that’s useful. Oh, and all of the whiskies were poured blind. xile_ bet I’d get two right. I showed him and got none right. That’ll show him.

As my whisky friends know, it’s a special moment to either have a whisky that I have never had OR, in a happier, more inclusive world, where we all try something new. Enter Tormore.

Prior to this dram, I’ve never had a Tormore. Known as the prettiest distillery in Speyside, Tormore is a fairly new distillery, only having been established in 1960. Their malted barley is lightly peated, aged mostly in ex-Bourbon casks, and is known for their light single malt. Not to mention the still has a purifier to ensure this.

I… don’t know how I feel about that. None the less, Tormore is now owned by Chivas Brothers and used in their blends. There’s been a 10, a 12, and a 15-year-old official bottling, all of which is about as easy to find as an honest politician.

Which brings us to the fact that you’re more likely to try an independently bottled Tormore than an OB Tormore. Thus enters our first ever challenger (contestant? offering? who knows), Tormore 28 1988 Sansibar Spirits Shop Selection. Sansibar and Spirits Shop collaborated to bring this. To the world, not me in particular. Let’s see how it tastes, shall we?

Price: N/A

Region: Speyside

Vintage: 1988

Bottled: 2016

Cask Type: Bourbon Cask

Number of Bottles: 228

Abv: 51.6%

Colour: 7.5Y 9/8

Nose: Papaya, sunflower, dulce de leche, old peach

Tropical, which is nice after the last two being stone fruit. Then floral. And then the aforementioned stone fruit. Very fruity, nice floral, and a thick creamy caramel.

I’ve been told that my earlier description of “overripe” was not hoi palloi enough, so I’ve changed it to “old”. So I’m classy now.

Taste: Cardamon, vanilla custard, passion fruit, oak, apple cobbler

Thicc mouthfeel. Well, there goes the classiness.

Spice, vanilla custard, and even some more of that tropical fruit. The spice and apple and vanilla all take on a dessert flavour. Yet the floral aspects give it some class. Like I had for a few seconds there. The dram’s class lasts longer though.

Finish: Nutmeg, cocoa, vanilla custard, apple, cinnamon, grain/cereal

Long, oily finish. Earthy, chocolatey, very nicely influenced by the ex-bourbon cask. Lovely cereal to round it out.

I was a tad worried about the purifier when I wrote about it, however having this dram makes me second guess that.

Conclusion: Unique, amazing ex-bourbon delicate whisky. It’s quite delicate. It’s very light, very tasty, and makes me come back for more. Frankly, this is showing off the ex-bourbon cask.

Does it taste like a 28-year-old whisky? Frankly no. There are some gaps in there. It has a lot of simpler flavours versus others. That said, the extra time has developed a whisky that entertains you the longer you drink it. It’s very vanilla forward, fruity, floral, and classy. A very nice dram to have, and a bottle that makes me want to hunt down more Tormores.

86/100

Guess: 16-18 year old, Speyside, ex-bourbon, Glenburgie?

Actually: Tormore 28 1988 Sansibar Spirits Shop Selection

Scotch review #972, Speyside review #267, Whisky Network review #1529