I found a little time to get into my backlog of samples tonight. Ok, I delayed cleaning up from dinner and putting away my hunting gear, but I swear I’ll do it before it’s time to brush my teeth and go to bed. Anyways, this sample came to me by way of my good friend @LeeEvolved from the great state of Virginia. We are both fans of Tomatin because of their outstanding value for money. Cù Bòcan is their limited line of lightly peated (15ppm) single malts that feature quality casks. The Virgin Oak expression uses just that, virgin oak casks. Bottled at 46% ABV, non chill filtered but does have colorant added making it a honey gold. The nose is peat smoked fruits on a fresh cut oak skewer, young and vibrant. Green pears, dried pineapple, cinnamon and very oaky. The peat is working in concert with the oak and fruits and never takes over, fairly well balanced even if it is young. More peat than smoke. Plenty of vanilla, some green grapes, coconut, apples. Malty/ yeasty biscuits, heavy breads. Water tames things a bit, more vanilla and coconut come through, less peat. Possibly some white chocolate. A spicier arrival than expected on the palate after the fruity nose. Very spirit driven, youthful and it shows. Black pepper, toasted oak, peat and slightly ashy. The fruitiness of the nose is almost lost under the sheer power of the palate. The smoky side of the peat starts to show, along with some citrus- lemon and orange. Vanilla, pears and apples. Water helps to manage the spice level, but brings even more of the strong oaky character to the foreground. A medium bodied mouthfeel that is very dry and tongue coating rather than a full mouth coat. The finish is medium long, very oaky with some peat, quite dry. While it’s obvious this is a young whisky, this may be the very profile Tomatin was going for to properly embody the specter of Scottish legend that is this whisky’s namesake. The peat is neither overdone nor underplayed, it’s just enough to add depth and character to their otherwise mild house style. At roughly $45 this seems a bit pricy for what I would wager is 6-8 year old stock, but the fact that it is a limited run of peated malt coupled with virgin oak casks may help to justify that cost (the 12 year old can be found for around $35). Personally I found this a bit too rough to really enjoy as a sipper, but it’s nice to see something on the bolder side coming out of the stills and warehouses at Tomatin. 3.5 and a thanks to Lee for the sample. Cheers