A popular Speyside distillery has been bought over by a top whisky firm with plans to finally open it to the public.
Independent whisky specialists, Elixir Distillers, have agreed to buy Tormore Distillery from Pernod Ricard, with plans to build a visitor centre at the site.
The distillery, which is instantly recognisable due to its location on the A95, pristine topiary and green-tinted roofing, is considered to be one of the whisky region's hidden gems.
Speaking about the sale, Sukhinder Singh, who co-founded Elixir Spirits with his brother Rajbir, said: “Tormore is one of the most visually stunning distilleries in Speyside. It produces a beautiful spirit and fits in perfectly with the Elixir Distillers flavour-first philosophy to bottle only the very highest quality whiskies.
"We are hoping to build on the work that’s been done by Pernod Ricard to bring to life the magic of Tormore and show consumers around the world just what a hidden gem it is."
Sukhinder added that they were "humbled" to be the new custodians of Tormore and are delighted to welcome it to the Elixir family alongside their new Islay distillery, Portintruan.
Despite looking like a Victorian spa resort, Tormore was actually built in 1960 and was designed by renowned architect and President of the Royal Academy, Sir Albert Richardson, whose style combined neoclassicism with modernism.
Historically known as ‘the pearl of Speyside’, the beauty and uniqueness of its architectural design were recognised in 1986 when the distillery was granted listed building status. It is one of the first distilleries you encounter when you travel north to Speyside and is located close to the Cragganmore, Ballindalloch and Glenfarclas distilleries.
One of the larger distilleries in Scotland, Tormore, which had been owned by Pernod Ricard since 2005, has a capacity of just under 5 million litres of alcohol per year. The deal with Elixir Distillers includes an inventory of aged stock.
Sukhinder and Rajbir foresee a bright future for Tormore: “We’re committed to creating a new era for Tormore. Our goal is to establish the reputation of Tormore on the global stage to match the special quality of the whisky.
"We want Tormore to stand shoulder to shoulder alongside the biggest names in single malt whisky and we plan to release a brand range that Scotland will be proud of."
The pair also confirmed that the distillery will now become a tourist destination in its own right after being closed to the public under Pernod Ricard.
Sukhinder added: "We want to make this a real destination for all visitors to Speyside; we will be refurbishing the distillery and we also plan to build a visitor centre.”
Alexandre Ricard, Chairman and CEO of Pernod Ricard, stated: “We are delighted to be handing Tormore over to Sukhinder and Rajbir, two friends and truly creative entrepreneurs and look forward to finding new ways to collaborate in the future.”
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