Scapa The Distillery Reserve Collection 12 Years Old 2006

This official Scapa single malt, aged 12 year old from 2006, drawn from cask 674 and bottled at 61.1%. Only 828 bottles were released. Scapa was founded in 1885 on the Orkney coast a mile from Highland Park; it still distils on Orkney under Pernod Ricard. Water comes from the Lingro Burn, piped to keep the spirit free of peat.

It was drawn off a wide necked Lomond still that lends a creamy, oily weight, for a honeyed, tropical spirit with a maritime edge. Ex-Bourbon casks held the spirit, soft oak that lets the fruit lead. Around twelve to sixteen years the malt gains a fuller honey over the fruit. Island maturation by Scapa Flow lends a faint salt air note as the whisky breathes. Water from the Lingro Burn is piped to keep the spirit clear of peat. A long fermentation of up to seventy hours coaxes out the fruity esters. Mothballed in 1994, Scapa was restored and revived by Pernod Ricard in 2005.

At a full 61.1% it is intense yet honeyed. A gentle vanilla and coconut from the wood, with heather honey and orchard fruit. The mouthfeel is oily, the honey carried on a creamy body. Tropical fruit and a faint brine see out a long finish. This is a creamy island malt of real depth.