Distilled at Tomatin’s Scotland distillery, the Cù Bòcan single malt brand recently introduced its fifth installment in their limited edition “Creation” series.
Cù Bòcan Creation #5 is unique, as this single malt Scotch was matured in Colombian Andean oak casks.
A statement from the whisky maker notes that their experimental Highland single malt is distilled every winter at Tomatin Distillery in limited batches and made with lightly peated Scottish barley for a hint of smoke.
The Cù Bòcan Creation series experiments with Scotch whisky while paying homage to its heritage. And this new expression isn’t the first time Cù Bòcan’s experimented with a new cask type; the first being Japanese Shochu casks for maturation for a previous Creation release in 2019.
Andean oak comes from the Andes Mountains, and its altitude conditions up to 4,000 meters make it a unique wood. It’s only found in cold tropical climates, areas with extreme humidity and wild forests, and it’s sustainably logged high in the Cordillera region.
The distiller’s notes show that on the nose, the whisky is spicy and resinous in character with a soft, round palate. Cù Bòcan Creation #5 was distilled in December of 2011 and initially matured in refill American oak hogsheads before being filled into Andean oak casks in June of 2021. A little over a year later, the whisky was removed from the cask.
Scott Adamson, blender and global brands ambassador, said that typically, they would consider one year to be quite a short finish, however the influence of the Andean oak casks in that period was “remarkable.”
“The nose is incredibly herbaceous with aromas of ylang-ylang, carnation, eucalyptus before sweeter hints of white chocolate pralines and lemon sponge cake develop,” he added. “The mix of Andean oak’s unique properties and Cù Bòcan’s light smoke has resulted in notes of toasted clove, smoked nutmeg, and creosote.”
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“To taste, the sweeter notes begin to interact more with the smoke and spice leading to flavors of campfire banana splits, cinder toffee and clove spiced vanilla,” he continued. “The herbal notes that were so prominent on the nose sit subtly in the background before a warming finish with gentle phenols and spice.”
Cù Bòcan Creation #5 clocks in at 46% ABV, and is a limited release of 8,400 bottles worldwide. It’s available in specialist shops with a suggested retail price of £60 per 700ml bottle.
For more information, check out www.cu-bocan.com.
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