Cù Bòcan might sound like one of the fortresses in Lord of the Rings, but it is in fact a reference to a wonderful bit of folklore surrounding the village of Tomatin. Legend has it that the town was beset by the ghostly form of a mysterious hell-hound. One cold, moonlit night, a distillery worker felt compelled to reach out and touch the fiendish beast, only for it to disappear into a wisp of smoke that blanketed the surrounded highlands. It is this smoke-like mist that the whisky recalls.

Peated to 15 ppm, this is a gentle, elegant peat, reflective of the mist of the story. This whisky has been aged in former Bourbon barrels, giving the whisky a wonderful vanilla sweetness. On the nose, this dram has aromas of toasted coconut, orange juice, lemon rind, vanilla, burnt sugar and of course, a wisp of peat smoke. The palate is thick and buttery, with a zinging peat, a little thick toffee, some citrus, a touch of vanilla, burnt sugar and roasted nuts. The finish is long and smoky, with faint tropical fruits. Bottled at 46% ABV and without chill filtration, this allows the flavours to ring true. A wonderful dram, with an excellent story – an ideal change of pace for Islay peat-heads.

• Product type
  Single Malt
• Distillery / brand
  Tomatin
• Country
  Scotland
• Region
  Highland
• Bottler
  Distillery Bottling
• Cask type
  Bourbon
• Non-chillfiltered
  Yes
• Natural colour
  Yes
• SKU
  023564