Tomatin releases Cù Bòcan Vintage 1988

Tomatin Distillery has launched a “rare” single malt Scotch whisky distilled in 1988 as part of its Cù Bòcan range.

Cù Bòcan Vintage 1988 has joined Tomatin Distillery’s range as a limited edition

The Highland producer has released just 2,200 bottles of the whisky, which has been matured for 28 years in Sherry casks and bottled at cask strength of 51.5% abv.

The Cù Bòcan range, first launched in 2013, is named after a mythical Highland hellhound which was rumoured to haunt the village of Tomatin.

Legend has it after being stalked by the ghostly spectre, a Tomatin distillery worker reached out to touch the fur of Cù Bòcan, when the beast dissolved in front of his eyes and spirited away across the peat moorland.

Cù Bòcan Vintage 1988 is said to have an aroma of campfire smoke and stewed pears with flavours of candied tropical fruits and an earthy peaty tang.

“In such a crowded market, innovation is key,” said Stephen Bremner, sales director at Tomatin.

“We have invested a lot of time in carefully crafting a range of different expressions to appeal to new markets and push boundaries so we are delighted with our latest offering which experiments with heavily peated Islay casks to infuse our naturally light spirit with an earthy, distinctive flavour.”

Cù Bòcan Vintage 1988 follows the launch of a 1989 version of the whisky and carries an RRP of £199.