Tormore distillery information
The Tormore distillery was built by Long John Distillers & Co. Ltd. (a subsidiary of Seagar Evans & Co. Ltd., themselves owned by Schenley Industries Inc) in 1958, making it one of the younger distilleries in Scotland. It is located in the heart of the Speyside area about a mile away from the River Spey, and sits on the edge of Cairngorms National Park. The distillery was designed by renowned architect Sir Albert Richardson,and combines a neoclassical mixed with modern style. It was constructed from granite, featuring copper domes, and a clock that plays 4 different traditional Scottish tunes every quarter of the hour. Next to the distillery, gardens were erected. The end result is a beautiful distillery, situated in equally beautiful surroundings. The distillery takes its name from Gaelic; “Torra Mhòir”, meaning “Big hill”.
In 1972, the distillery doubled the amount of stills from four to eight, and the stills were converted to become steam-heated rather than directly fired.In 1975, Long John Distillers was absorbed by by Whitbread & Co., leading to the distillery shifting owners to Allied Distillers Ltd. Since 1984, the stills are heated using wood chips; leftovers from nearby logging. This is just one of the ways the distillery tries being more energy friendly. In 1986, the distillery was granted listed building status; quite remarkable, as it was less than 30 years old at the time. In 2005, Pernod Ricard bought Allied Domecq, who at the time owned the distillery, and transferred the distillery to their subsidiary Chivas Brothers.
There apparently is a time capsule that was buried on the site in 1960, when the distillery opened. It contains a bottle of Long John, glasses, regional information and pieces related to the different steps in the distillation process. The capsule is intended to be opened in 2060 when the distillery celebrates its centennial.
Tormore Whiskies
Most of Tormore’s product finds its way into blends; particularly Long John and Ballantines.
There currently are two official expressions available:
- 14 Year Old; matured in American oak casks
- 16 Year Old; matured in American oak; non-chill filtered
Distillery info:
Detail |
Information |
|---|---|
| Name | Tormore |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Logo |  |
| Status | Active |
| Founded | 1958 |
| Water source | Achvochkie Burn |
| Malting floor | No |
| Owned by | Pernod Ricard |
| Address |
Tormore Distillery +44 (0)1807 - 51 02 44 |
| Visitor centre | No |
| Website | http://www.tormoredistillery.com/ |
| Map |
Distillery Setup:
Component |
Capacity |
Quantity |
|---|---|---|
| Mash tun | 10.4 tonnes | 1 (Lauter) |
| Washback | 48,600 litres | 8 (Stainless Steel) |
| Wash still | 18,500 litres | 4 |
| Spirit Still | 13,900 litres | 4 |
| Expected yearly output in LPA (Litres of pure alcohol) | 4,100,000 |
Images courtesy of Chivas Brothers / Pernod Ricard
Frequently Asked Questions
Tormore takes its name from the Gaelic “Torra Mhoir”, meaning “Big hill”. Built in 1958 by Long John Distillers & Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of Seagar Evans & Co. Ltd, itself owned by Schenley Industries Inc, it’s one of the younger distilleries in Scotland. It sits in the heart of Speyside, about a mile from the River Spey, on the edge of Cairngorms National Park.
Tormore was designed by renowned architect Sir Albert Richardson, combining neoclassical and modern styles. Built from granite, it features copper domes and a clock that plays four different traditional Scottish tunes every quarter hour, with gardens laid out alongside the distillery. It was granted listed building status in 1986, remarkable given it was less than 30 years old at the time.
Long John Distillers was absorbed by Whitbread & Co. in 1975, transferring the distillery to Allied Distillers Ltd. In 2005, Pernod Ricard bought Allied Domecq, the then-owner, and transferred Tormore to its subsidiary Chivas Brothers, which still runs it today.
The stills were converted to steam heating in 1972, when the number of stills was doubled from four to eight. Since 1984, the stills have been heated using wood chips left over from nearby logging, one of several ways the distillery works towards being more energy efficient.
Yes. A time capsule was buried on the site in 1960 when the distillery opened, containing a bottle of Long John, glasses, regional information, and items related to the different stages of distillation. It’s intended to be opened in 2060, when the distillery marks its centennial.
Most of Tormore’s output goes into blends, particularly Long John and Ballantine’s. Two official single malt expressions are currently available: a 14 Year Old matured in American oak casks, and a 16 Year Old, also matured in American oak and non-chill filtered.
No, Tormore does not have a visitor centre.