Scapa Part Two–the actual drinking of a glass of Scapa

 

Scapa 16 year old

40% ABV

As I mentioned in a previous post, Scapa can be one of those “throw the cork in the fireplace kind of whiskies”.  Well, a few weekends ago, two friends and I scared the heck out of that cork.

Scapa is one of two distilleries on Orkney – the northern-most island of Scotland.  It’s located about two miles south of the Highland Park distillery, so it just barely misses out on that distinction.  Scapa is a good example of a moth-balled distillery that was brought back to life after ten years in 2004.  So what’s currently on the shelf was produced under previous management.  Now, on to the whisky:

Color – a nice, welcoming amber, with a little bit of noticeable oiliness

Nose – starts sharp, kicking your head back a bit, but after another sniff, you get some nice, fruity sweetness

Taste – a little medicinal, and a little oily with a thinner finish.  Malty and sweet.  I read another review that compares this one to an Irish Whiskey.  I think that’s a pretty good comment.

Overall – this one definitely acts like more of a Highland whisky than its island neighbor.  But it’s a good dram, outside of the top ten, but in the spirit of March Madness, maybe it’s “on the Bubble”.

Random, annoying complaint – this is a very tall bottle which doesn’t fit into my liquor cabinet standing up.  So I need to lay it down in an adjacent wine rack, something I don’t like to do (and my wife doesn’t like me to do either!)