Cù Bòcan breaks new ground with Creation #9, a whisky inspired by sweet and salty popcorn

Cù Bòcan, the experimental single malt crafted each winter at Tomatin Distillery in the Scottish Highlands, has released its oldest expression yet: Creation #9, a whisky inspired by the sweet and salty taste of cinema popcorn and designed for a whole new occasion to enjoy a dram.

Sweet at first and salty on the finish, Creation #9 offers a flavour combination that has you reaching for another handful. That same playful indulgence carries through to the pack’s striking popcorn box aesthetic which evokes classic cinematic nostalgia and makes it the perfect companion for movie night.

The ninth instalment in Cù Bòcan’s limited-edition Creations series, Creation #9 draws its distinctive flavour from an unlikely pairing of American virgin oak and Manzanilla sherry casks, continuing the brand’s drive to defy expectations of what a peated Scotch can taste like.

At over 17 years old, the larger share of the spirit spent its entire life maturing in American virgin oak casks, which are rarely used for such a lengthy maturation. The result is slowly built layers of vanilla, honey and caramel sweetness.

The remaining spirit spent 13 years in refill hogsheads before a four-and-a-half-year finish in Manzanilla sherry casks. Made from Palomino grapes in Sanlúcar de Barrameda on Spain’s Cadiz coast, Manzanilla is a pale, bone-dry fortified sherry whose casks carry a signature salinity, layering salted caramel, toasted almond and coastal freshness into the spirit.

Together, the two casks create the sweet and salted popcorn note that defines Creation #9.

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.”

Creation #9 arrives in a bold red-and-white carton with sharp, diagonal detailing reminiscent of a classic popcorn box, a playful nod to the whisky’s stand-out flavour. Its engraved contours echo the wisp of Cù Bòcan’s signature smoke and the staves of the casks that shaped it.

Bottled at 46% ABV, natural in colour and non-chill filtered, Cù Bòcan Creation #9 is now available from Tomatin Distillery’s website and from specialist whisky retailers in the UK and worldwide, priced at £45. It is limited to 3,800 bottles globally.

For more information, visit https://tomatin.com/cu-bocan.

Cù Bòcan Creation #9 tasting notes

Nose: Vanilla, honey and caramel sweetness balanced by salted popcorn, toasted almonds and a hint of coastal salinity. Cinnamon, nutmeg and cocoa add warmth and depth.

Palate: Bright lemon zest and crisp orchard fruit, layered with toasted oak and gentle spice.

Finish: Long and gently spiced, with lingering dry oak and a subtle maritime freshness.

About Cù Bòcan

Cù Bòcan is a Highland single malt distilled, matured, and produced at the Tomatin Distillery near Inverness, renowned for its portfolio of brands including Tomatin Highland single malt, The Antiquary, Talisman and Big T.

Peat has been part of Tomatin’s story since its founding in 1897, when the distillery drew on local supplies to fire its stills. Though production shifted to an unpeated style mid-century, Tomatin revived peated runs in 2005 — sparking the birth of Cù Bòcan.

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.

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’s limited-edition collection.

Cù Bòcan – ‘ghost dog’ in Gaelic – is named after a spirit thought to haunt the distillery’s hometown of Tomatin.

Cù Bòcan rebranded in August 2019. 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.