Cù Bòcan Creation #2 - 46%
From the Cù Bòcan website
A celebration of the subtleties of smoke and perfectly balanced sweetness, Cù Bòcan is an experimental Highland Single Malt that explores innovative finishes to create whiskies full of intrigue and surprise.
Made with lightly peated Scottish barley, distilled every winter in limited batches. Matured in a variety of casks to unlock unusual flavours, creating a subtly smoky and surprisingly sweet spirit.
Japanese Shochu + European Virgin Oak Casks. An experiment where the Far East and Europe meet, this innovative creation is rich and lively with hints of smoke and key lime pie. Non chill filtered and natural colour.
Cù Bòcan takes it’s name from the legend of a mysterious hellhound said to stalk the residents of the remote Highland village of Tomatin for centuries. One of the most well known stories of this beast involves a distillery worker who was out walking late at night. All at once, he caught sight of a large black beast with bared teeth and steam spiralling from flared nostrils. Abandoning all reason, he felt the urge to reach out and touch the creature’s dense fur, and as he reached out a trembling hand, he watched in disbelief as the beast dissolved into a cloud of smoke in front of him, leaving nothing but deathly silence.
It’s little wonder then, that when the Tomatin distillery decided to launch a range of lightly peated whiskies, evoking the name of the spectral beast who roams their peat moorlands was an obvious choice.
Appearance: Pale gold, forms a medium thick line before beads break and fall slowly as thick lines.
Nose: Citrus notes, particularly lime and a little lemon, dominate at first to be followed by ripe pear, barley water and soft smoke.
Palate: An initial burst of lime, with lemon in the supporting role. Creamy Ambrosia rice pudding appears together with maple syrup, butter pastries, a little nuttiness, soft smoke and cinnamon warmth.
Finish: Warming, the gentle smoke slowly dissipates whilst the citrus notes linger before becoming sweeter and more floral. A gentle mocha note appears right at the close.
Summary: Sweet but not too sweet, the palate is creamy and full of comforting pudding notes together with soft smoke and the sharpness of lemon and lime. It’s a really well put together whisky and at 46% is such an easy drinker. Whilst the addition of a few drops of water bring out more smoke it also dials up the spiciness, for me this is a whisky best served neat.
This was my star of the tasting session, the mix of Shochu and Virgin oak influences are well balanced and combine beautifully with the gentle smoke of the spirit. It’s currently priced at a touch over £40, which in my opinion is an absolute bargain.
If you would like more information on the range of Cù Bòcan whiskies, please visit the company website.
This sample was part of a 4 dram selection for a TweetTasting session organised by @TheWhiskyWire and the Tomatin Distillery. All opinions are my own.
