
November 12, 2020

A bag of Scapas or another Via Crucis

There aren’t that many Scapas around, unless many of those ‘Secret Orkneys’ that are now invading our shelves are not really HP, and would rather be, yes, Scapa. You never know. As usual, first, an aperitif…

Scapa 10 yo 1989/2000 (43%, Signatory Vintage, cask #1903)

To be honest these batches have not got the highest reputation ever and many people wouldn't touch them with a bargepole. Colour: pale white wine. Nose: supermarket bread, plastic, sourdough, cherry syrup, baker’s yeast, stale ale, carbon paper, flour, sugar syrup. All right then. Mouth: not quite. Chewing on a conservative American magazine, sugar syrup, paper, saccharine, paraffin… No thanks. Finish: medium. Ale and yeast. Stale spices and molasses in the aftertaste. Comments: that was a long time ago, just after the Osmonds. I believe Signatory have issued around fifteen thousand stunners since this very humble Scapa was absent-mindedly bottled.
SGP:441 - 68 points.

A new one please…

Scapa 15 yo 2005/2020 (57.7%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseur’s Choice, first fill bourbon barrel, for LMDW, cask #465, 234 bottles)
G&M have had quite a few good Scapas in the past, and a few duds too if you ask me. Let’s see… Colour: light gold. Nose: light honey, raisin rolls, vanilla, fresh oak, orange squash, muesli, coconut water, acacia wood. Nice! With water: gets pretty doughish. White beer, bread, grist, ink, supermarket chocolate, planks at Ikea’s. Not as bad as that sounds tough. Mouth (neat): pretty strong, on lemon and fresh oak, with touches of liquorice and menthol and a hint of brine. The saltiness is rather intriguing here. With water: we got it now! Typical soft saltiness plus honeyed doughs, sweet maize, sweet beer, those croissants… The saltiness really is intriguing here. Finish: long and even saltier. Where does all this salt(iness) come from? Same cigarette tobacco too. Salted butter in the aftertaste, or salted nougat, should that exist. Comments: a malt whisky apart, not straight and easy if you ask me, but there’s something charming for sure. Reminds me of a few long-forgotten British cars. Say the Triumph Stag.
SGP:362 - 84 points.

Scapa 1979/1989 (62.4%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #17.3)

Ten years old Scapa at lethal strength, a.k.a. old kerosene. Colour: white wine. Nose: totally and plainly on hot chocolate. Warm milk, cocoa, Hershey’s worst. That’s all so far, folks. With water: plaster and damp chalk, Van Houten’s powder, milk powder, concrete, graphite oil, baker’s yeast… Not too sure. Mouth (neat): too strong of course, but this has nothing to do with the nose. No chocolate this time, rather orange squash, Schweppes Lemon, and fizzy sweets. Not too easy. With water: some improvement, but this is extremely austere, ueber-grassy, dry, and indeed a little salty. Finish: long, dry, narrow, salty and bitter. Salted brown beer. Comments: really fun to taste, but I doubt anyone would quaff this extreme bone-dry juice while watching some stupid series on Dramazon Prime. Urgh!
SGP:272 - 75 points.

Take heart, S.!

Scapa 1977 (64.3%, Gordon & MacPhail, Meregalli Italy, +/-1990, 75cl)

64.3%, gulp! Always loved this ‘distillery label’ by G&M. But shall we survive this sneaky Scapa? It’s true that G&M have had many great ones in the past. Colour: gold. Nose: some remote beer perhaps, and a large brioche straight from the oven. We won’t take any further chances anyway at this strength. With water: herbs, grasses, essential oils (thyme), metal polish, old tools, iron… Mouth (neat): I seem to rather like this. Patchouli, chlorophyl, green tobacco, Brussels sprouts, bitter herbs… Yeah well… With water: oh, lime, mezcal, Jamaican rum, spearmint, sour and bitter herbs, artichokes, baked eggplant, Scottish moussaka (what’s that?)… What’s this monster, my friend? Finish: long, hard, bitter, harsh, grassy… Comments: to be honest, this is WTF whisky that you really need to intellectualise before you swallow more than three drops. And yet it’s pretty charming… cough, cough! Holy featherless crow, whisky by Boulez!
SGP:372 - 82 points.

(Merci KC)

Check the index of all Scapa we've tasted so far