Scapa is a whisky made on the island Orkney; the distillery’s location was the final resting place for some of the German fleet scuttled there at the end of WWI. In 2003, it seemed that Scapa's days were numbered. It is really with gratitude to neighboring Highland Park and crew that Scapa has stocks from the years between 1994 and 2004. They used to come to the run-down distillery and fire up the stills for a few weeks each year. That way, Scapa is still available, though still difficult to find, which I experienced sadly enough. The Scapa 12yo is almost out of sale, but I obtained a 1993 edition which got bottled in 2006.


First the bad news : this whisky is expensive. The 13 yo had a price tag of 48 Euro, which I find insanely high, but I yielded because I knew Scapa is a renowned brand (and because it was so hard to find).


The good news : it is worth every penny of it. Uncorking the bottle and smelling the scent, is a real pleasure, and already indicates that this is a great whisky : soft, a hint of honey, lemon and maple sirup. Light, but sofisticated. Immediately reminds me of Glenmorangie and Tullamore Dew, though Scapa is more complex.


The taste : very fresh. If Laphroaig is something you would drink on a winter evening before the fireplace, with a snow storm raging outside, then this is something you would drink on a freshly mown lawn on a summer evening. Sweet, but not too sugary. A hint of brown sugar and some undefinable exotic fruit (maybe pineapple, but I'm not sure).


The verdict : excellent ! A classic whisky, only shame about the price.