Review by: The Muskox

Some friends of mine are travelling Scotland at the moment and stopped at Scapa distillery the other day, so I figured I’d find and review one of their whiskies. This is the first whisky I’ve tried that has this peated-cask finish, so I went in not quite knowing what to expect.

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Distillery: Scapa.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Islands (Orkney).

ABV: 40%.

Age: No age statement.

Cask type: Finished in ex-peated scotch casks.

Price: $84 CAD.

Color: e150. Chill-filtered.

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Nose: Light Highland-ey honey and apples, but there’s definitely a peat influence. No tar, earth or idodine here, though: it’s a heathery, grassy smoke. Fresh lemon, peach, and a touch of fresh-cut lumber. A touch of something like crusty bread. A hint of soft seaside, but it’s barely there and just sort of accents everything else.

Palate: Feels pretty thin, as expected from a 40% ABV whisky. Sweet and floral, with lemon and honey. A little bit of maple and waxy milk chocolate. Then the smoke comes in surprisingly strongly, with burning tobacco and ash. There’s a light and pleasant woody-citrusy sourness underlying the sweet.

Finish: Surprisingly substantial and long. The peat takes the reins here. Wet charcoal, wood tannins, and moss. A lingering floral element.

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Conclusion: A nicely flavoured, easy-drinking whisky. Not life-changing, but I like the amount of peat influence and the finish is nice. The thinness holds it back.

Final Score: 77.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.