Whisky Names Explained: The Scottish Whisky Tomatin Cù Bòcan and Its Spine-Tingling Tale

Just a few more days and it will be All Hallow’s Eve, also known as Halloween. For lovers of Scottish whisky, we're diving into the name of a spooky whisky this week. In this Whisky Names Explained, we reveal what's behind the Tomatin Cù Bòcan whisky.

There are plenty of ghost stories within the Scottish whisky industry that fit perfectly with Halloween. One of those stories is told by the Highlands distillery Tomatin. The Cù Bòcan whisky is not just any whisky. The drink owes its name to a ghost story.

The name of the Cù Bòcan single malt whisky originates from old Gaelic. Roughly translated, it means ‘ghost dog’. The story behind the whisky involves an old legend about a ghostly apparition.

A small village near the Scottish distillery has, according to this legend, long been under the spell of this spectral creature.
Cù Bòcan is believed to be a black dog with fiery eyes. As if the image of such a formidable creature isn't frightening enough, Cù Bocan features in various stories, each more frightening than the last.

Some stories tell of lonely travelers pursued by the dog until they can find a safe place indoors. According to other stories, the dog behind the whisky name is a guardian of ancient Celtic tombs. In a third story, the ghost dog is an omen of bad things to come.

A worker at the Tomatin distillery reportedly saw the Cù Bòcan once. After initially fleeing, he tried to touch the apparition, but it dissipated into smoke and disappeared into the misty landscape of the Scottish Highlands.

The whisky associated with the ghost dog is a rare expression from the distillery. Generally, the Tomatin Distillery produces unpeated single malt whisky, but once a year, peated spirit flows from their stills.

The 60,000 liters of spirit produced then possesses 15 PPM (parts per million) and matures in a mix of virgin oak, bourbon barrels, and sherry barrels to yield a fine smoky whisky. This fits perfectly with the Cù Bòcan ghost dog and its backstory.

The whisky, which initially started as a limited edition release with a depiction of the dog, is now presented in a luxurious bottle containing the smoky whisky.