Experimental single malt brand Cù Bòcan has released Creation #8, which the Tomatin Distillery-crafted label claims is the “first known peated Scotch to be matured in ice wine casks”. The limited edition expression, bottled at 46% ABV, went on sale on May 20 priced at £45 and is limited to 3,600 bottles.
Creation #8 uses a dual cask maturation combining rare Canadian ice wine casks and Spanish Verdejo casks. The ice wine casks were sourced from family-owned Canadian winery Pillitteri, while the Verdejo casks came from renowned French-owned Spanish winery Belondrade.
The release is the latest in Cù Bòcan’s annual Creations series, which celebrates exclusively peated whiskies with unique cask combinations. The series is inspired by the lightly peated spirit historically produced at Tomatin Distillery in the Scottish Highlands over 100 years ago.
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READ THE STORYIce wine is a sweet dessert wine made from grapes left to freeze on the vine before harvesting, pressed at around -7°C to yield a small amount of highly concentrated sugary juice. Verdejo, a white wine from Spain’s Rueda region, is known for its fresh, zesty, and herbal character.
The 18-year-old spirit from the ice wine casks contributes notes of apricot jam, candied peach and pineapple syrup, while 16-year-old spirit from the Verdejo casks introduces citrus, herbal and grassy characteristics. Reflecting the brand’s experimental approach, the spirit was filled into the Verdejo casks just weeks after they were emptied.
Jamie Muir, distillery manager at Tomatin, said: “Our Cù Bòcan Creations series is all about going beyond convention, creating genuinely distinctive whiskies that excite and intrigue.”
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“Marking the oldest release in the series to date, Cù Bòcan Creation #8 is a pioneering single malt, marrying our gently peated spirit with the bold sweetness of Canadian ice wine casks, something we believe has never been done before with a peated Scotch,” Muir added.
“Equally the Verdejo casks and the experimental decision to fill them shortly after emptying have also introduced a vibrant citrus and herbal dimension. The blend of these two cask types make Creation #8 a truly surprising dram.”
The bottling is natural in color and non-chill filtered. It is available through Tomatin Distillery’s website and specialist whisky retailers in the UK and worldwide.
Official tasting notes from the brand describe the nose as “sweet fruit with gentle smoke woven through,” including baked apples, apricot jam, candied peach and heather smoke. The palate is noted as “silky and sweet then turning fresher and slightly smoky,” with honeycomb, pineapple syrup and lime zest. The finish delivers “sweet wine and fruit fading into smoky honey, citrus peel and soft oak spice.”
