Tomatin Cù Bòcan 46%
Aged in Virgin Oak, Bourbon and Sherry
Peated to 15ppm
Tasted: Sept 2013
Initially the nose is crisp and clean with honey barley and tropical fruit along with a touch of grass and light sawdusty oak. The honey becomes lightly floral (orange blossom?) and a touch of smoky peat appears. Sweetly spiced with building citrus and castor sugar notes with late oily vanilla.
The palate is soft and full, maybe not quite as exuberantly fruity as the nose but there is a pleasant degree of apricot, apple, light honey, gentle spice, light barley and grass. Like the nose a light, smoky-peat note becomes evident along with a touch of liquorice, earth and malt. Very spicy on the middle. Good length with a lovely, fresh citrus finish.
Tomatin Cù Bòcan 46%
Re-Tasted: June 2016
A fresh and subtly tropical nose with barley and hints of lime, gooseberry, lemon rind and honey. It displays and almost salty freshness with hints of oily apricot, heather and gentle, sweet peat. With time some lightly toasted American oak appears along with a touch of sherry richness.
The palate is still fresh although the barley is a little more dominant. Like the nose it is subtly tropical with apricot, apple and melon. Slightly salty on the middle with a touch of heather and sweet peat. Lovely, mouth-filling intensity and a long, citric, lightly orangey finish with lingering coffee, drier peat and toasty oak.
Tomatin Cù Bòcan ‘Limited Edition Sherry Matured’ 46%
First Fill Sherry Butts
Tasted: Sept 2014
The nose opens with some slightly confected, boiled sweets sherry notes, followed by dried fruit, liquorice, toffee and warm spice. Lightly smoked and malty with a slight youthful, herbal, spirit note and a touch of vanilla.
The palate is fresher but it is also woodier too! Like the nose it opens with boiled sweet sherry. A little more peat is noticeable on the palate and the spices are a touch grittier. However it becomes quite nutty with hints of dark chocolate on the middle and as the oak begins to bitter the dried fruit cake and sherry notes return to counter. The bitterness sort of wins out in the end and leaves a powdery/ spicy cocoa finish.
Tomatin Cù Bòcan ‘Limited Edition Sherry Matured’ 46%
Re-Tasted: Oct 2014
A very estery nose with pineapple, apricot, tangerine and banana. Plenty of mentholated herbs, iodine and grainy oak follow. With time hints of dried fruit, liquorice and earth can be detected.
The palate is soft and lightly honeyed with malt, barley and coffee’d tannins. Quite woody on the middle with the mentholated herbs coming through along with hints of iodine and salt. Short. The combination of alcohol and tannins hammers the finish. Although it has a pleasant, lightly smoked after-taste. In c onclusion: Lovely nose, but the oak has had its wicked way with the palate. [tasted blind]
Tomatin Cù Bòcan ‘Limited Edition Virgin Oak’ 46%
Tasted: Feb 2015
A stunning nose of dusty and earthy peat with hints of fresh lime, rose water, pear, pineapple, melon and gritty oak. Very spicy – pure cinnamon and a touch of fresh herbs, The oak adds a touch of cream soda, fresh wood shaving and white chocolate. Superbly complex with all the elements in perfect harmony.
The palate opens with pecans in toffee and chunky vanilla interspersed with notes of fresh apple, lemon and lime. Hints of pineapple, barley, cinnamon sticks, herbal rye-like notes and light sweet peat follow. Long and citric with the herbal spice, warm vanilla and cinnamon lingering and a light peat after-taste. Stunning stuff!
Tomatin Cù Bòcan ‘Limited Edition Virgin Oak’ 46%
Re-Tasted: July 2015
Aromas of bruised plum, kumquat along with baked apple and banana all generously sprinkled with castor sugar. Hints of Turkish delight and rose water emerge. Ooh that’s getting juicy! Late hints of candied almonds, nutmeg, cinnamon and Bourbony oak.
The palate opens with lightly oiled baked, very estery, sweet, tropical fruit – apricot, banana, pineapple and apple. Subtle notes of cinnamon and a light, almost herbal rye-like note comes through on the middle along with hints of rose water. Wonderfully juicy with a balancing minerality. Long and spicy with clove, cinnamon and nutmeg lingering along with the perfumed rose Turkish delight. In conclusion: There’s more than a hint of Auchentoshan about this malt. Has a Highland distillery dabbled in triple distillation? Either way it’s a fabulous whisky!
Tomatin Cù Bòcan Limited Edition Bourbon Oak 46%
Tasted: Sept 2015
High toned, triple distilled-esque aromas rise above a thick, oily, barley’d core. Hints of Turkish delight and rose water seem to re-enforce its almost Lowland-like character. Gently spiced with black pepper, cumin and creamy vanilla.
The palate is young and creamy with the toffee’d oak up first followed by sugar sprinkled barley, herbs and olive oil coated banana. Quite weighty with some gentle spices and citrus. The finish is fairly austere and mineral, although the oils try to balance. Light rose water after-taste. In conclusion: A Highland malt for Auchentoshan lovers!
Tomatin Cù Bòcan Limited Edition Bourbon Oak 46%
Re-Tasted: Dec 2015
Estery and fruity with perfumed pineapple chunks, apricot and plenty of taught American oak, which is quite prominent but not overpowering. Very juicy with hints of sweet smoke, banana, barley, acacia and vanilla.
The palate opens with the soft, earthy barley and subtler fruits, which is down to the oak being more creamier, however hints of green apple, herbs and fragrant, sweet peat smoke come through. Although the oak is pretty grippy the fruit is doing its job well and balancing. Long and juicy with lingering herbal barley and drier oak notes. Very impressive.
Tomatin Cù Bòcan 2006 (10 year old) 50%
Refill Bourbon Hogsheads
Dist: 2006 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Sept 2017
The nose is earthy and barley’d with hints of dried fruit and coffee. A little hard and a touch spirity with an almost Mezcal-like pulped fruit and pepperiness. The pepper mingles well with the peat and subtle vanilla notes, but I’m afraid it’s lacking a bit of charm.
The palate is fuller and a little sweeter. Again there is that pulped fruit-like character with pepper, peat and coffee. Slightly hard finish with plenty of spice and lingering sweet barley and sweet peat. It’s certainly doesn’t have the polish of the 2005.
Tomatin Cù Bòcan 2005 (11 year old) 50%
Bourbon/ Sherry
Dist: 2005 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: Aug 2016
The nose opens with the American oak in all it’s vanilla and toffee’d glory, followed by taught, granity, but sweet apple and honey. Beneath are some subtle sherry notes and with time, sweet smoke, heather, dark chocolate and earthy peat.
The palate is full and vanilla’d and toffee’d with dark chocolate, baked sherry fruit and spice. The sherry comes through with a rich, supple sweetness on the middle but it’s balanced by the granity character of the spirit. Long with a touch of sweet smoke, honey and Highland heather notes. Lovely, warming sherrywood spice after-taste.
Cù Bòcan Limited Edition 15 year old 50%
Oloroso Sherry
Tasted: Oct 2022
The nose is quite mature with Oloroso dried fruit and a whiff of smoke. Hints of smoked meat, edgy, herbal spice and dry earthy smoke appear. Some lovely silky fruit underpins and begins to push through with time. Late rose petal, marzipan and coffee.
The palate opens with smoked meat and more notecable peat. Hints of tar, earth and rich dark, plumy and pruney dried fruit. Some spicy tannins comes through on the middle but all the while the winey dried fruit is a constant. Long, intense, earthy, peaty finish with lingering dried fruit, spice, tobacco smoke, dark chocolate and dry spices. That’s one hell of a finish!
Tomatin Cù Bòcan 1988 (28 year old) 51.5%
Bourbon and sherry matured unpeated spirit, finished in ex-Islay (Ardbeg) casks.
Dist: 1988 Btl: 2016/ Tasted: June 2016
A lovely, mature and fruity nose, which opens with the dusty American oak, followed by vibrant citrus, juicy kumquat, tangerine and apricot. A touch of rose petal, herbal sherry and slightly woody peat appears along with some late earthy peat and dunnage.
The palate is full, ultra soft and barley’d with hints of vanilla and subtle sherry notes. Layered and spicy with the dry peat coming through, ably emphasised by the alcohol. Subtly salty with a long, coffee, dark chocolate and dunnage finish. It does end a little on the dry side but the rich, spicy fruit offsets.
Tomatin Cù Bòcan 1988 (28 year old) 51.5%
Re-Tasted: July 2016
A chunky and herbal (refill sherry cask?) nose with boiled sweets, barley and a touch of honey. It becomes quite fragrant with time and hints of coffee, dried fruit, heather and earth appear.
The palate is chunky and foursquare with again what appears to be a refill sherry herbal character. Malty and intense on the middle with alcohol boosted spice and hints of coffee and earth. Long and remaining herbal with a tongue tingling spicy finish and a late, brief hint of smoke. In conclusion: Now, that’s a chunky, coffee’d malt. Who needs a breakfast coffee when you can have this?
Tomatin Cù Bòcan 1989 (24 year old) 53.2%
Bourbon Casks 37470. 37471 and 37472
Dist: June 1989 Btl: Mar 2014/ Tasted: Apr 2014
Lightly smoked aromas of herbal-peat with a slightly medicinal twang. A good depth of trademark sweet fruit – pear and apricot sits behind. Hints of warm spice, honey and citrus come through along with some lightly dusty, mature oak. A lovely nose!
The palate is fuller and sweeter, opening with some tart grapefruit and the sawdusty oak. Beautifully balanced with oodles of lightly coffee accented honey. Gently smokes with some earthy peat appears as the oils build on the middle along with the alcohol. Superb intensity with the peat just a whisper. Long, fruity finish with lingering dusty spices.
With water the nose becomes maltier and dustier. Less peaty but lightly floral now with the orange notes becoming wonderfully juicy and liquidy. Late notes of tar and burnt heather emerge. The palate shows more of the sweet barley and honey. Again less peat, but the honey is beautifully luscious. Spicier too, with clove and cinnamon notes. Still quite earthy and finally a little medicinal note creeps in and lingers.
Tomatin Cù Bòcan 1989 (24 year old) 53.2%
Bourbon Casks 37470. 37471 and 37472
Dist: June 1989 Btl: Mar 2014
Re- Tasted: Mar 2022
The nose opens with a fair amount of earthy peat, followed by barley, oxidised apricot, apple, sweet oak and subtle, wonderfully soft spices. It shows some lovely maturity and with time the oak becomes creamier and toffee’d. late violets and coffee.
The palate also opens with the earthy peat and lovely, mature apricot, apple, barley and beautifully soft, creamy oak. The alcohol adds verve and emphasises the spices on the middle. Full, juicy, mature, silky, spicy finish with lingering oxidised fruit, and barley. A stunning whiksy.
Cù Bòcan Signature 46%
Bourbon, Oloroso and Virgin American oak casks.
Tasted: Oct 2019
The nose is edgy and citric with barley, grippy oak and hints of rose petal marc, dried fruit, sweet peat, apple and subtle background smoke. It feels younger than previous bottlings. With time there’s a touch of earth and some medicinal notes appear. The American oak is also a bit more noticeable and sweeter.
The palate is fresh, citric and barley’d with hints of oily apricot, creamy vanilla and grippy tannins. Hints of smoke, dried fruit and greengage come through on the middle. Lovely intensity, youthful but not as youthful as the nose suggests. Lovely background creamy oak. Long, smoky and sweetly fruited. Late malt biscuits and spice.
Cù Bòcan Creation No1 46%
7 year old spirit?/ Black Isle Brewery Imperial Stout and Balacuna Moscatel de Setubal
Tasted: Oct 2019
A rich and earthy nose with herbal and sweet stouty notes to begin with. Subtle dried grape, barley, sweet smoke, citrus and malt follow. Quite cask orientated but well balanced and juicy. Late sultana, lime and honey.
Rich and malty palate. Again stouty with malt, barley and dark fruit. Hints of winey, grapey honey, lime and smoke on the middle. Lovely progression with a mouth-watering and juicy finish with lingering citrus, dried grape, minerals, sweet smoke, spice and malty-stout notes.
Cu Bocan Creation No2 46%
7 year old spirit?/ Japanese Shochu and European Virgin oak
Tasted: Oct 2019
A lovely fresh, tart and citric nose with distinct Shochu notes. Hints of barley, rice wine vinegar, green fruit, lime, tamarind and subtle vanilla. Really different and balanced with some spicy tannins and subtle smoke appearing.
The palate is fresh and citric, again slightly tart with rice wine notes. There’s a little more smoke on the palate but again its relatively subtle. Hints of barley, tamarind, lime, lemon, vanilla and wood spice come through on the middle. Long, remaining crisp and citric with a mouth-watering barley sweetened finish. Hints of honeysuckle, smoke and vanilla in the after-taste.
Cu Bocan Creation No3 46%
Moroccan Cabernet Sauvignon and North American Rye casks.
Tasted: Feb 2022
An earthy, slightly raw nose, marc-like and smoky with stringent red/ black fruit, cold tea, dark rye spice, pepper, peat and with time some sweeter dried fruit. It’s pretty wild!
The palate is softer and opens with syrup coated red/ black fruit, pepper, peat, earth and dark rye spices. Good intensity, a little less raw than the nose suggests but it’s still wild. Subtle balsamic middle with some astringent herbal notes. Long, slightly citric and raspberry finish. Lingering dark spice and smoke.
Cu Bocan Creation No4 46%
Tawny Port and Cognac casks
Tasted: Feb 2022
Like Creation #3, the nose is a bit raw and marc-like with stewed apple, plum and subtle dried red fruit, raisin and with time some jammy fruit and pepper.
The palate is sweet and jammy, full of porty dried fruit and grippy French oak. Light earth, spice and stewed fruit on the middle along with a touch of pepper and spice. The intensity builds pleasantly. Long, juicy, spicy and grippy finish with an almost mentholated after-taste and lingering sweet red fruit.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 