Scapa 28yo 1993/2022 Distillery Exclusive

Scapa 28yo 1993/2022 Distillery Exclusive

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Sunshine yellow
57.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Mangoes, peaches, winter melons, lemon zest, icing sugar, cinnamon. With water, raisins, honey, mangoes, hints of sandalwood. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sour salty. Mangoes, peaches, lemon zest, peat, sea salt, cinnamon, white pepper, hints of malted grains. With water, lemon zest, icing sugar, sandalwood, hints of peat. 
Finish: Long. Lemon juice, icing sugar, cinnamon, sea salt. 

Comments: 

Citrusy and fruity, and with a dusty sweet note that reminds me of icing sugar. Water brings out spicy herbal fragrances, almost perfumed, but also peat. An excellent dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

An Orkney Distillery 8yo 2012/2021

An Orkney Distillery 8yo 2012/2021

Watt Whisky, Campbeltown Whisky Company
Single malt - Islands
Pale gold 
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Lemon zest, lemon sweets, yoghurt, vanilla, cream, cardamom, cinnamon. With water, toast, yoghurt, cardamom, cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, warm, expands. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Vanilla, lemon zest, lemon juice, cinder toffee, cardamom, toast. With water, toast, cinnamon, lemon sweets. 
Finish: Short. Cinder toffee, cardamom, lemon juice, toast, autumn leaves. 

Comments: 

Heavy and citrusy, lots of semi toasted notes that waft like a haze of smoke over the whisky. Not a very usual Scapa in my experience, but a very good one.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Scapa 19yo 2003/2022

Scapa 19yo 2003/2022

Official bottling 
Single malt - Islands
Dark gold
56.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Yoghurt, cinnamon, ginger, sour cream, malted grains, hints of salt caramel. With water, honey, sultanas, malted grains, cinnamon. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Salty sweet. Malted grains, honey, lemon zest, salt caramel, cinnamon, white grapes, allspice. With water, honey, white grapes, cooked rice, malted grains. 
Finish: Long. Ginger, allspice, cinnamon, malted grains, sour cream. 

Comments: 

Long, intense and honeyed. Lots of sweet cereal and spice notes, it’s quite brilliant whisky. Very enjoyable, rather like eating salted caramel ice cream. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Scapa 15yo 2005/2020

Scapa 15yo 2005/2020

Connoisseur’s Choice, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Islands
Dark gold
55.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Green apples, sandalwood, honey, leather, sea salt, smoke, hints of white pepper. With water, green apples, smoke, white pepper, leather. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, astringent, tingly. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Green apples, leather, peat, sea salt, white pepper, damson jam, hints of smoke. With water, damson jam, green apples, malted grains, leather. 
Finish: Medium. White pepper, green apples, honey, damson jam, sea salt. 

Comments: 

A very leathery, tart and more-ish Scapa. Not very saline or island-like, instead it’s soft and fruity and gentle. Some traces of spicy notes on the finish, but all very enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Scapa 22yo 1991/2014

Scapa 22yo 1991/2014

Mackillop’s Choice, Angus Dundee Distillers 
Single malt - Islands 
Bright gold
55.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: White grapes, green peppers, sultanas, honey, white pepper, lemon zest, hints of cotton sheets. With water, marshmallows, lemon zest, vanilla, honey. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, airy, mouth coating, loosens. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Malted grains, pear drops, green peppers, white grapes, oats, sultanas, lemon zest. With water, bitter, walnuts, white grapes, malted grains, hints of honey. 
Finish: Short. Walnuts, pear drops, oats, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Cask 1191. Not too coastal in character, this whisky is rather gentle and fruity. There’s a vegetal hint of green pepper but the majority of the flavour notes are fruity, sweet, and perhaps with a little spice. Quite enjoyable.

Verdict:

I like this.

Scapa Skiren

Scapa Skiren

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Golden yellow
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peaches, plums, bananas, orange peel, pineapples, hints of mango. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, watery, airy. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Peaches, creamed coconut, mangoes, oranges, hints of lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. Cardamom, mangoes, creamed coconut, pineapples. 

Comments: 

Fruity and light, the mango notes really come to the fore here. They're a little overpowering though, and it's hard work to discern the other notes hiding behind them. This is decent whisky for its price, which I suppose is fair enough, but it tastes a little... slapdash?

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS 17.39 (Scapa 12 yo 2002/2015)

SMWS 17.39 (Scapa 12 yo 2002/2015)

2015, SMWS
Single malt - Islands
Green gold
56.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, limes, orange peel, rose water, violets, hints of chillies. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, sticky, syrupy. 
Tasting: Sweet sour. Vanilla, wolfberries, orange peel, rose water, hints of cardamom. 
Finish: Long. Limes, ginseng, wolfberries, orange peel, hints of cinnamon. 

Comments: 

Pleasantly floral, but creamy and heavy on the tongue. Reminds me of a good gin in some ways, but without the juniper of course. This is really good whisky, with excellent complexity. Surprisingly, it doesn't take water well, losing all that floral notes, and becoming a tad heavy on the spice. It's been a while since I had a Scapa, this was a good way to get back into it.

Verdict:

I like this.

Scapa 16 yo 1993/2009

Scapa 16 yo 1993/2009

Distillery Labels, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Islands
Pale green gold
40% ABV
Sampler

Nose: Peanuts, malty beer, leather, cooked rice, raisins, hints of fried onions.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, loose, airy.
Tasting: Salty sour. Grapefruit, leather, lemons, malty beer, cooked rice, chocolate, hints of fried onions.
Finish: Short. Grapefruit, cooked rice, lemons, malty beer.

Comments:

Quite salty and tart, loose and light. I think this whisky would have been better bottled at a higher strength. It's got a nice bitter sour grapefruity note that is quite refreshing. Excellent on ice, but you have to drink it quick - it doesn't dilute well.

Verdict:

I like this.

Scapa distillery

Scapa Distillery
Scapa
St Ola, Kirkwall
Orkney KA15 1SE

Islands, Scotland - Active

Flavour profile

Lots of sour (and unusual, at least in whisky) tropical fruits in Scapa, among them pineapple, grapefruit, tomatoes, pomeloes, papaya and even coconut. All this is wreathed in peat, and occasionally, something sweet like cocoa, or syrup. Fruit flavours are always good in a whisky, and Scapa has a lot of interesting ones. If this were wine, it would be white, from an excellent vineyard. Not bad for a distillery that was, once upon a time, worked only when the people at Highland Park had a spare moment.

Scapa whisky is generally tangy, perhaps slightly sour, although the latest official expression, the 16 yo, is quite sweet. There are occasional reminders of the distillery's proximity to the sea, with the odd whiff of sea salt.


All the Scapas I've tasted so far are here.

Scapa 12 yo - good
Scapa 14 yo - good
Scapa 23 yo 1978/2001 - good
Scapa 16 yo - very good

Distillery history

Founded in 1885 by John Townsend, Scapa was owned by the founder's eponymous company until about 1919, when it was bought by a consortium. Then it passed through various hands until it ended up with Allied Domecq. It was nearly sold to a third party after Allied's merger with Pernod Ricard, but Pernod hung on to it in the end. The distillery was silent from 1934-1936 and again from 1939-1945. From 1994 it was operated on a part-time basis by employees of Highland Park.

There's a limited official range - a 12 yo and a 14 yo. Very recently, the 14 yo was discontinued to be replaced by a 16 yo. Scapa malt is part of Ballantine's.

Potted distillery facts

Water source: Lingro Burn, a source of peaty soft water
Washbacks: Six, stainless steel, 21,548 litres each
Wash stills: One, ex-Lomond still, 13,500 litres
Spirit stills: One, normal neck, 12,563 litres
Spirit still Lyne arm: Bent s-shape
Production per year: 1,000,000 litres

- The Scottish Whisky Distilleries, Misako Udo

Scapa 16 yo

Scapa 16 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands
Amber gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, orange peel, lemons, white grape, hints of peat, hints of rose.
Mouthfeel: Light body, watery, smooth.
Tasting: Sweet. Peanuts, peat, orange peel, lemons, pear.
Finish: Short. Peanuts, white grape, peat.

Comments:

Nice - lightly floral, fruity and sweet. I think this is an improvement over the old Scapa 12 and 14 yos. I like this a lot indeed, and even though it's a bit understrength, it's definitely still a winner (although maybe the traditionalists won't say so!).

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Scapa 23 yo 1978/2001

Scapa 23 yo 1978/2001

Old Malt Cask, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Islands (Orkney)
Golden
50% ABV
Dram

Nose: Big prickle of alcohol, surprising at 50%. Lettuce, malty beer, sweet sherry, papaya, cherries, hints of grapefruit.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, a little syrupy, static.
Tasting: Sweet sour. Tangy, candied pineapple, tomatoes, iceberg lettuce, apricots, cherries.
Finish: Long. Warm, spicy, pineapples and cherries.

Comments:

Lovely old Scapa, born in the same year I was. 1978 whiskies are good. Perfect drinking strength, just like the other OMCs. This one is quite rare - the Scapa 14 yo (1993/2008) and Scapa 25 yo (1975/2001) are more popular. One of 612 bottles, not sure what kind of cask this is, but probably sherry.

Verdict:

I like this.

Scapa 14 yo

Scapa 14 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands (Orkney)
Straw gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sea salt, lavender, wet stones, pineapple, hint of citrus.
Mouthfeel: Syrupy, thick, not heavy. Medium body.
Tasting: Salty sour. Tangy, sweet pineapple, beefsteak tomatoes, salt caramel, malty, clay.
Finish: Medium. Salty, seaweed, nori, something sweet.

Comments:

More maritime, saltier and less fruity than the younger expression (but with the same pineappley notes). Feels more luxurious somehow, yet this isn't reflected in the price! I believe this is going to be the flagship official expression from the distillery, and they are going to discontinue the younger one.

Verdict:

I like this.

Scapa 12 yo

Scapa 12 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Islands (Orkney)
Straw gold
40% ABV
Dram

Nose: Citrus, grapefruit, coconut, chocolate, fresh cut grass, hint of pineapple.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thick. Sits in a little ball on the tongue.
Tasting: Salty. Tangy, coconut, chocolate, Bounty Bar, raisins, apricots, hint of peat.
Finish: Long. Chocolate, oranges, pomeloes, grapefruit, lemon.

Comments:

Great mouthfeel, very pleasantly fruity finish. Shame this distillery didn't really produce whisky for years. The younger official expression is very much like a cross between a Bounty Bar and a Cadbury Fruit and Nut on steroids.

Verdict:

I like this.