SCAPA 1988 30YO - GORDON & MACPHAIL CONNOISSEURS CHOICE

As a part of the 50th Anniversary celebration of the 'Connoisseurs Choice'-range, Gordon & MacPhail has during 2018 released some bottlings out of the ordinary. I'm about to review another below - stay tuned!

The Connoisseurs Choice-series has had different looks over the years, but if you're an experienced whisky drinker -and probably also if you're not- there's a good chance you will have come across these bottlings at some point.

© G&M Media Kit

I've already reviewed some recent bottlings released as a part of the 50th Anniversary celebration, their reviews can be found here and here.

For this next review we'll head up to the Orkney Islands just off the north coast of Scotland.

Now, Scapa distillery has long been living in the shadow of that more prominent Orkney Distillery - you know the one branding Norse Mythology and Vikings Galore (read: Highland Park) but I remember when visiting the Islands almost 10 years ago, locals telling me that they actually drank Scapa - not Highland Park... or they probably just collect Highland Park, but still drink Scapa ;-) 

This may have changed, of course, but I also have to admit I enjoy a good Scapa... There's not a lot of it out there - especially mature Scapa like the one I'm about to review...

Scapa Distillery seen from across the Scapa Flow, August 5th 2009 © The Malt Desk

Scapa 1988 30yo 53,8% (02.09.1988/13.09.2018) Refill bourbon barrel#10585, 148 bottles, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice

Nose:
Quite an oily feel to this one...
Butter cream caramel and loads of vanilla, a dash of wet chipped wood, mineral notes, bit of chalk maybe? buttercups and freshly squeezed olive oil and a bit of salt/ozone as well. A couple of drops of water reveals oranges, sweet melon and a very honeyed side to this. Love this nose!

Taste:
Thick creamy malt vanilla custard on a sweet bread sponge bed with lemons and orange marmelade on top and raspberries on top. A malt for The Great Bake Off! The malt is a driving force here, yes, but it comes along with a just a little oak influence to keep all the sweetness at bay.

It also still maintains its salty and mineral traits through to the palate as well.

I have a serious week spot for well balanced bourbon cask matured whiskies like this one and this really hits the spot for me!

Finally, before I'm flooded with questions on where to get this magnificent beast then -to the best of my knowledge- this hasn't been released yet.

90/100!

Official sample provided by Gordon & MacPhail

SCAPA 1993 20YO BATCH SC20 007 - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

The Malt Desk has been silent for a little over 2 weeks now. Its been mainly because of my holiday to Scotland and some of you may have enjoyed the pictures I put up on The Malt Desk Facebook page. So if you're on Facebook, please go like the page to keep up with whats happening here :-)

The good news is that I'm back with a bag full of shopping (whisky, of course!) and new travels under my belt... that and some nice evenings out in Glasgow, Craigellachie and Edinburgh with some people from both the Danish, American and Scottish whisky community.

Thanks, guys! (you know who you are). It was great to meet you all!

I also brought back a cold that decided to set in this past Friday evening - the day after hosting a fantastic sherry whisky tasting in the whisky club. (phew... good timing, huh?). Let's just hope it clears up for the upcoming weekends tasting of some of the bottling from the latest Scotch Malt Whisky Society Denmark outturn... :-O

Today was the day that the day job was calling again, so this seemed like a nice time to start adding stuff to the blog again, but since the olfactory system pretty much out of commission at the moment, its going to be a note from my little black book...

Scapa Distillery and Warehouses from the road, August 5th 2009 © The Malt Desk

Scapa 1993/2013 20yo 58,6% Batch SC20 007, Chivas Cask Strength Edition-series, Distillery bottling

Colour is full straw

Nose:
Vanilla, salty, hint of strawberry, white chocolate, apple, slight Danish marzipan note in there as well along with a dash of oak and lemon.

Taste:
Very salty, then a rush of sweetness... vanilla again, barley sugar, confectionery, malt, hint of bitter oak, fruit salad - peach and apple mainly and orange marmalade.

Delicious dram! and thanks to Kalle for the sample!

88/100!

SCAPA 1992 14YO BATCH SC14 001 - DISTILLERY BOTTLING

You don't see much whisky from this distillery. Its pretty much the shy brother of the high profile Highland Park Distillery, located across the Scapa flow (bay) on Orkney Mainland... So when Highland Park attracts all the attention, I found out, when visiting in 2009, that Scapa is what the Orcadians themselves enjoy as their favourite tipple.

Scapa is a distillery high on my visit list, but its not open to the public, so if anyone reading this and have contacts (Pernod Ricard People, hint hint! ;-) ) and I can get my schedule to fit, I'd love to make my way to Orkney again to visit Scapa.

On a more sad note, I feel that the current 16yo version is a bit dull and that the owners should take a long hard look at what potential this distillery really has instead of pouring the majority of its production into the Ballantine's blend. I'm sure a substitute malt can be found somewhere in their portfolio?

On a brighter note, the bottling I'm about to review was released back in 2006 as a part of the Chivas Cask Strength Collection - its a 50cl bottle set with whiskies from a range of Pernod Ricard Distilleries and sold at very favourable prices and worth picking up as you get cask strength version of whiskies you normally would only get at 40%/43%. Sadly this current versions is long gone, but its worth picking up at auction, IMO...

Scapa Distillery seen from across the Scapa Flow, August 5th 2009 © The Malt Desk

Scapa 1992/2006 14yo 60,6% Batch SC14 001, Chivas Cask Strength Edition-series, Distillery bottling

Colour is pale amber

Nose:
Sweet barley sugar, vanilla and soft fruit. A bit of apple, wet planks of wood, sugared licorice (Haribo Dominos), an touch of mint and ozone.

Taste:
Alcohol nip, but thats to be expected with a 60%+ abv. A splash of water releases apple, raspberry, lemon, black pepper and a bit of mentholated mouthfeel. On the finish, more fruit (salad), vanilla and a spicy and barley finish.

A very good dram, this one - wish I had a full bottle of this...

Thanks to Kalle for the sample

88/100!