Tomatin Cù Bòcan
Tomatin · Tomatin Distillery
Tomatin's peated expression is a study in duality — smoke that enhances rather than dominates. It's an excellent entry point for drinkers curious about peat who aren't ready for Islay's full assault. The whisky rewards return visits; each pour seems to emphasize a different element.
Kit Aromas
Nose
An unusual greeting of gentle peat smoke wrapped around ripe peach and vanilla custard. Underneath, there's a floral quality — almost rosewater — that keeps shifting against the smoky backdrop.
Palate
Medium-bodied and surprisingly bright, with honey and malt sweetness riding alongside measured phenolic smoke. Dried fruit and a hint of clove spice emerge mid-palate, giving the whisky a restless, evolving character.
Finish
Medium length, with peat smoke gently receding to leave behind warm honey and a trace of cocoa on the tongue.
- Region
- Highlands
- Cask Type
- Ex-bourbon and ex-sherry
- Peat Level (PPM)
- 15 ppm
- Distillation
- Double distilled in copper pot stills
- Maturation
- Matured in a combination of first-fill bourbon and first-fill oloroso sherry casks
- Chill-Filtered
- Non-chill filtered
Cocktail Suggestion
Highland Penicillin — 2 oz Tomatin Cù Bòcan · 0.75 oz fresh lemon juice · 0.75 oz honey-ginger syrup · Shake with ice, strain into rocks glass over fresh ice, garnish with candied ginger.
Food Pairing
The delicate peat mirrors the salmon's smoke, while the whisky's honey and peach notes complement the sweet glaze and the fish's natural richness.
Tomatin Distillery, nestled in the Monadhliath Mountains south of Inverness, periodically produces small batches of peated malt spirit that they bottle under the Cù Bòcan name — Gaelic for 'ghost dog,' after a local legend.
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