Is there such a thing as a boring distillery? Could it be that Scapa is one?

When I finally got around to write my notes on yet another basic whisky which I sourly missed reviewing before, Scapa 16, this question popped up in my mind: Is Scapa a boring distillery?

Think about it for a minute: It’s a distillery with output of over 1,000,000 liters of alcohol. There’s only one official single malt bottling, the Scapa 16, while most of their production goes to blends (mostly Ballantines). There’s no fanfare about this distillery or the official bottling, so it does seems boring.

What do you think? And what about Scapa 16? Is it ‘boring’?

Scapa 16 (40%, £48.15)

Nose: Vanilla, brine and salty toffee, some malt and oak notes are felt after few minutes in glass.

Palate: Salty and then wax polished oak. Dryness with bit sweet heather honey, vanilla and lemon and then some oak bitterness and spices.

Finish: Short medium length with lots of oak wood spices, vanilla, lingering mostly at the back of the mouth.

Conclusion: It’s not a bad one yet it’s not a whisky that will make you overly excited. So I’d say that it’s a rock solid basic whisky to drink during summer time or as a warm-up whisky when having a whisky night.