Tomatin Cù Bòcan Creation #5

Score: 74

Cù Bòcan Creation #5 climbed into second place because it immediately grabbed people’s attention without being over the top. The nose did most of the early heavy lifting: gentle peat, a touch of smoke, and those bright tropical notes that had several tasters stopping to appreciate it before even taking a sip. It had that “I could sit here smelling this for ages” quality, soft, slightly smoky, and surprisingly pretty. On the palate, it shifted gears. The fruit and peat were still there, but the balance changed. Some found it smooth and easy, almost unexpectedly so after such a captivating nose. Others thought the sweetness and peat blended into something a bit syrupy or muddled, like it couldn’t decide whether to lean into the smoke or the fruit. That contrast, nose vs palate, expectation vs delivery, became one of the defining talking points. A few tasters compared it to a lighter, more relaxed take on Kavalan’s peated style: tropical fruit up front, peat woven through rather than dominating. For some, that made it interesting and approachable. For others, it felt like the whisky promised more than it ultimately delivered. The finish was where opinions split the most. Some felt it slipped away too quickly after such a strong opening, almost like the whisky gave you a glimpse of something brilliant and then vanished. Yet even those who wanted more length still rated the overall experience highly because the journey, especially the nose, was memorable. In the end, Creation #5 landed in second place because it was the whisky that drew people in instantly, sparked real conversation, and delivered enough charm and character to leave a strong impression. It wasn’t perfect, but it was captivating, and that was enough to push it near the top. *CLUB NOTES* "Nice and interesting peat, integrated tropical fruits with light peat. It reminds me of a lighter version of Kavalan Peat." "Its ok. Just ok. What is this peat flavored syrup... bruh..." "Such a wonderful peaty nose smokey sweet and the a taste smooth and easy." "Contrast taste" "You’ll be lost sniffing this whiskey. Beautiful and slightly smokey on the nose that will capture you immediately. Go on to tase it and you’ll get something much better than you were expecting. You’ll feel like you’ve found the perfect whiskey. Finally! And then it’s gone. Gone too soon. I still rate it high! Experience this."