After reviewing yesterday the new Tomatin Cask Strength, let’s review Tomains’ second new release – The Cù Bòcan Virgin Oak. It’s the second release in the trilogy showcasing the influence of each cask type which makes up Cù Bòcan: Sherry, Virgin Oak and Bourbon. I reviewed the Sherry in the past and now it’s time to try the virgin oak edition.

Like the sherry edition, there are only 6000 bottles available and it was fully matured in First Fill Virgin Oak casks which should lend us lots of sweetness, vanilla and coconut. How well will it work with the peat?

Tomatin Cù Bòcan Virgin Oak Edition (46%, £49.95/€61.95)

Nose: A very fresh and interesting nose, It starts with a moderate-to-weak peat wave but soon its taking backseat to sweet pears and apricots, vanilla, massive sweetness, almost too much but still fresh and a bit zesty.

Palate: Lots of sweet pears, apricots, vanilla and coconuts. This time there’s spice showing up, also some oak impact and a supporting peat/pepper combo like sandwich spread.

Finish: Medium length and gentle. Full of fruits and vanilla, some peat smoke at the background and lots of pepper.

Thoughts: Not exactly what I expected out of it. Yes, I was expecting bountiful bouquet of vanilla and sweet flavours here as we have a whisky fully matured in virgin oak, but not to this extent. It’s heavily sweet and almost overpowering, tethering on a thin line and drenching the peat impact to much lesser degree it barely shows up as supporting act. Having said that, I must say I actually like it a lot! Not sure how but it’s somehow works for me – the combination of  the virgin oak inducted flavours with the light Tomatin spirit and a peat base seems to work and I like it better than the Sherry edition and it even may be better than the standard Cù Bòcan.