Tomatin marks 20 years of peat production with Cù Bòcan
Cù Bòcan, the experimental single malt crafted at Tomatin Distillery each winter, has launched Creation #7, which celebrates two decades of peated whisky production at the Highland distillery.
Inspired by the lightly-peated spirit that was historically produced at Tomatin more than a century ago, Cù Bòcan uses unusual cask combinations to craft whiskies that seek to push the boundaries of flavour while also ‘challenging the ordinary’ in whisky maturation.
Creation #7 is the seventh edition in the brand’s Creations series. It has been matured in rare Pineau des Charentes Rouge and American virgin oak casks chosen by blender and global brand ambassador Scott Adamson. The result is described as a distinctive flavour profile of rhubarb, custard, heather smoke and sweet oak spice.
Adamson said: “Creation #7 is Cù Bòcan’s most limited Creations release to date and is more than a whisky but an invitation to explore. The Pineau des Charentes Rouge casks are rarely used in Scotch whisky maturation, and influence the lightly-peated spirit to unlock nostalgic and unexpected flavours.”
On the nose, notes of rhubarb crumble with custard, ginger and cinnamon can be detected alongside almond croissants with apple and toffee. Heather smoke and musk are also present.
The palate features a wisp of smoke followed by toasted brioche, butter shortbread, strawberry and raspberry. Its finish is long with a mineral edge.
Cù Bòcan Creation #7 marks 20 years of peated spirit production at Tomatin Distillery – a seasonal ritual that has closed the distillery’s calendar since 2005, when the decision was made to produce a peated single malt and – for the last week of production that year – a batch of optic barley, peated to 15ppm, which was used to produce approximately 60,000 litres of lightly-peated spirit that was then filled into a variety of different cask types.
That lightly-peated whisky went on to be released as Cù Bòcan in 2013 – having been matured in a combination of Bourbon, Sherry, and virgin oak casks. Since then, the Cù Bòcan brand has grown with a number of vintage releases as part of the brand’s limited edition collection.
Cù Bòcan’s distillation coincides with incredibly low water temperatures, allowing for faster distillate condensation and resulting in a slightly oilier mouthfeel in the new make spirit.
The new release is presented in Cù Bòcan’s bespoke bottle, housed in a vivid pink and yellow carton — a visual nod to the single malt’s rhubarb and custard profile.
Its engraved contours are designed to echo the ‘wisp’ of Cù Bòcan’s signature smoke and the staves of the casks that shaped it.
Natural in colour and non-chill filtered, Cù Bòcan Creation #7 is bottled at 46% ABV and is available from today (24 November) on Tomatin Distillery’s online shop and in specialist whisky retailers throughout the UK and worldwide, priced at £45 (US$59).
Only 3,000 bottles are available worldwide, 1,400 of which are in the UK.
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