Scapa distillery which belongs to Pernod Ricard produce only one single malt to the market. It started with the Scapa 12 which was replaced with Scapa 14 which in turn was replaced with Scapa 16 and in turn got replaced with Scapa Skiren, a NAS whisky – it always felt like there can be only one…
But now, new evidence on the TTB database, shows that Scapa are going to double the amount of official bottlings with a new release: Scapa GLANSA:
You probably know the phrase “Timing is everything”. We all encounter situations and cases where the phrase is fitting like a glove to a hand. Although it’s not always a positive match, in my case and my wish to visit Scapa distillery, it was a perfect and positive match.
Back when I planned my Scotland trip and planned my Orkney day, I hoped that despite lacking a visitors center and a website that declared that the staff is too busy to take care of visitors, I’ll manage to arrange myself a wee tour at Scapa distillery. After all, being a whisky blogger should count toward something, right?
But just when I was about to finalize my plans for the trip, Scapa distillery announced a new visitors center and tours around the distillery, ha! Indeed, timing was perfect and it was an easy matter of contacting the distillery and booking a tour 🙂
So on a rainy and grey afternoon we strolled into the new Scapa visitors center. First thing you notice: It’s small. And cozy.
Pretty much the entire visitors center 🙂
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’?
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.
Whisky Gospel 