Scape only produces one full-sized offering, Skiren. They used to produce a beloved 16 Year Old, but discontinued it a few years back, and have created a number of small batch varieties over the years. But while the older variety is certainly missed, maybe it’s good to just concentrate on doing one thing very, very well. Scapa Skiren is the result of that singular concentration.
Inspired by the summer’s bright, glittering skies known in Old Norse as Skiren, Scapa refers to the Whisky as “the honeyed tropical one” because it has a smooth and creamy sweetness with notes of tropical fruit, citrus, and coastal heather. Bottled in 2015, it is exclusively matured in first-fill American Oak Casks, hand selected by Scapa. To note, there is no age statement.
On the nose, imbibers will find delicate scented floral aromas with a hint of fresh pear, along with sweet and fruity pineapple notes with a citrus tang. The palate is smooth and sweet with ripe honeydew slices, bursts of fruity pear, and lemon sherbet, according to the distillery. The finish is long and refreshing with a shimmering sweetness.
One of only two Scotch distilleries (the other being Highland Park) located in Orkney, an archipelago off the northeastern coast of Scotland, Scapa was founded in 1885 by Macfarlane & Townsend. It was mothballed in 1994, however, and wasn’t officially reopened until November 2004. Since then, Whisky has freely flown from the distillery. Currently, Scapa is owned by Pernod Richard, who bought their former parent company, Hiram Walker & Sons Ltd, which bought Scapa back in the 1950s.
In smaller bottles and batches Scapa also sells two other Whiskies: the Distillery Reserve Edition 18-Year-Old Cask Strength and the Distillery Reserve Edition 16-Year-Old Cask Strength 50 cl (2018).
Scapa Skiren Ratings:
- Distiller: 3.53/5
- Whiskybase: 79.53/100
