Single malt matured in rum casks

Cù Bòcan has released a 12-year-old single malt matured in Caribbean rum casks just in time for summer

Cù Bòcan Single Malt has released a brand new age stated whisky to the range, Cù Bòcan 12 Year Old. Cù Bòcan have used Caribbean rum casks for maturing this expression which, combined with their subtly smoky spirit, has resulted in flavours of grilled pineapple, sea salt, ginger and white chocolate. The perfect dram for the Summer, Cù Bòcan likens this release to long Scottish Summer nights, spent with friends by a campfire on the beach.

The experimental Highland Single Malt is distilled every winter at Tomatin Distillery in limited batches and made with lightly peated Scottish barley for its signature wisp of smoke. Cù Bòcan is also renowned for exploring innovative maturations, creating whiskies full of intrigue and surprise, with their ethos of “unlocking the unusual”.

Scott Adamson, Blender and Global Brand Ambassador, says of the release: “Whisky matured in rum casks can be incredible, but rum casks are notorious for their variable quality and securing a consistent supply is almost impossible. Therefore, this permanent addition to the Cù Bòcan range will be released in batches. With each batch we will explore casks from across the Caribbean, each with their own unique origin, history, and influence. Batch #1, distilled on the 10th of December 2010, has been finished in a mix of rum casks from Guyana and Barbados. These islands are known for the use of molasses and pot still distillation. Producers in Barbados, regarded by many as the birthplace of rum, blend pot still and column still rums making the island worthy of its reputation for well-aged, balanced expressions. The casks sourced from Barbados provide a range of fresh tropical fruits and invigorating maritime notes. Known for the famed Demerara River, Guyana is home to some of the fullest bodied rums in the Caribbean. These casks have added more depth and warming spice.”

Cù Bòcan released their fifth instalment in their “Creation Series” earlier this year, Creation #5 matured in Andean Oak casks, thought to be the first single malt of its kind. The Cù Bòcan Creation series pushes the boundaries of Scotch whisky with experimentation, whilst still paying homage to its protective heritage. A leading innovator in cask selection, Cù Bòcan are not afraid to experiment with new cask types, being the first to use Japanese Shochu casks for maturation for a previous Creation release in 2019; Creation #2.

The current Cù Bòcan range now comprises of Cù Bòcan Signature, matured in Bourbon, Oloroso Sherry and North American Virgin Oak casks, the Creation series, Cù Bòcan 12 Year Old and Cù Bòcan 15 Year Old, matured fully in Oloroso Sherry casks, which was released late last year. Cù Bòcan Signature, and 15 Year Old were recently awarded “DOUBLE GOLD” at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition 2023, Creation #5 was awarded “GOLD”.

Cù Bòcan are celebrating the release of the 12 Year Old by once again partnering with world renowned chef Tony Singh MBE. Tony is visiting the capital of the Highlands this weekend to create and serve some delicious street food, Cù Bòcan will be pairing Tony’s dishes with drams and whisky cocktails and all proceeds from the weekend will be going directly to Maggies Highlands, read more here - https://www.cu-bocan.com/news/chef-tony-singh-mbe-is-visiting-inverness-to-celebrate-highland-food-and-drink-for-maggies

Each Cù Bòcan Single Malt aims to open up the world of lightly peated whisky, offering an exploration in the subtleties of smoke, the character of the casks and the mastery of maturation. The range is always non-chill filtered and natural in colour. Cù Bòcan 12 Year Old has been bottled at 46% Abv. and is a limited batch release.

Cù Bòcan 12 Year Old is available in specialist shops worldwide with an RRP of £65 per 700ml bottle.

More Information

1.     Cù Bòcan is a Highland Single Malt distilled, matured and produced at the Tomatin Distillery (near Inverness), famous for its portfolio of brands including Tomatin Highland Single Malt, The Antiquary, The Talisman and Big T.

2.     In 2005, the decision was made to produce a peated single malt and for the last week of production that year a batch of Optic Barley peated to 15ppm was used to produce about 60,000 litres of lightly peated spirit which was filled into a variety of different cask types. 

3.     Then, on September 3rd 2013 this lightly peated whisky produced at Tomatin was released as Cù Bòcan – A single malt at 15ppm matured in a combination of Bourbon, Sherry and Virgin Oak casks. Since then, the Cù Bòcan brand has grown with a number of vintage releases as part of the brand limited edition collection.

4.     Cù Bòcan rebranded in August 2019, the brand is now positioned as a celebration in the subtleties of smoke and perfectly balanced sweetness. It is an experimental Highland Single Malt that explores innovative maturation to create whiskies full of intrigue and surprise. It is made with lightly peated Scottish barley, distilled every winter in limited batches and matured in a variety of interesting casks to unlock unusual flavours. 

5.     The distillery is owned by Japanese company Takara Shuzo International, https://www.takara-intl.co.jp/en/

Provided by Cù Bòcan