Cù Bòcan’s oldest expression breaks new ground on flavour
EXPERIMENTAL single malt whisky brand Cù Bòcan has crafted its latest expression Creation #9 that has been inspired by the sweet and salty taste of cinema popcorn.
Marking a new foray in flavour for the brand, the new dram aims to appeal to a new occasion for whisky drinking by embracing the nostalgic flavour of cinema popcorn. Described as sweet at first before moving to more salty flavours on the finish of the drink, Creation #9 offers a unique flavour combination that is bit moreish.
That playful flavour combination carries through to the pack’s popcorn-inspired design with reds and whites to help evoke classic cinema popcorn boxes.
This ninth instalment in the Cù Bòcan limited edition Creations range draws its flavour by combining American virgin oak and Manzanilla sherry casks, continuing the brand’s expectations of what a peated Scotch whisky can taste like.
This new expression also marks the oldest dram from the Cù Bòcan range at over 17 years old, with the larger share of aging time spent its life maturing in American virgin oak casks – which parent distillery Tomatin said are rarely used for such a lengthy maturation period. This results in slowly built-in flavours of vanilla, honey and caramel sweetness.
The spirit spent 13 years in refill hogshead before moving on to a four-and-half-year finish in Manzanilla sherry casks – a sherry from Spain’s Cadiz coast made using Palomino grapes to deliver a pale, dry fortified sherry wine which carry a signature salinity, layering salted caramel, toasted almond and coastal freshness into the spirit.
The release comes bottled at 46% ABV and comes with a price of £45. The expression is limited to 3,800 bottles globally.
Jamie Muir, distillery manager at Tomatin, said: “Creation #9 set out to prove that patience pays off in the most unexpected ways.
“The American virgin oak has given the single malt its deep, sweet backbone, but it’s the Manzanilla sherry cask that elevates the expression, bringing in the salty, savoury edge that balances all the sweetness.
“The result is one of the most unexpected flavours we’ve crafted. It’s exactly the kind of discovery that makes the Creations series so exciting, and the perfect excuse for a movie night.”
