Scapa 20 Years Old 2000 Cask #1096 (Connoisseurs Choice)

Gordon & MacPhail bottled this Scapa single malt matured to 20 year old from 2000, drawn from cask 1096 and bottled at 55.3%. A release of 221 bottles. Opened in 1885 by two Glasgow blenders by the sheltered waters of Scapa Flow, Scapa is Orkney's unpeated island malt. It overlooks Scapa Flow, the anchorage where the German fleet was scuttled in 1919.

Distilled on Lingro Burn water through its unusual Lomond still, building the gentle Orkney style it is loved for. An Oloroso butt held it, sherry meeting the soft island spirit. Long ageing brings an oily depth, candied tropical fruit and a mellow maritime note. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the honeyed, creamy core over time. The distillery looks out over Scapa Flow, the great anchorage of two world wars. Water from the Lingro Burn is piped to keep the spirit clear of peat.

At a natural 55.3% it is full and oily. The Oloroso brings dried fruit, fig and a nutty depth, and a creamy, honeyed sweetness sit alongside honeyed oak sweetness underneath. It is soft and rounded, the honeyed spirit shining through. It finishes clean, honeyed and soft. This is Scapa's soft, maritime Orkney style.