This whisky is the youngest single malt in the compact core range of the Scapa distillery, which is on the Orkney islands. This core range underwent a major revamp in 2024, which saw the brand return to age statement whiskies and also feature new bottles and packaging. The Scapa 10 Years Old has been matured in American oak ex-bourbon barrels and is joined by the 16- and 21 Years Old expressions in the range.
The Scapa distillery was founded in 1885 by Macfarlane & Townsend and is currently owned by Chivas Brothers, part of the larger Pernod Ricard group. It is located in the village of St. Ola and close to Kirkwall, the capital of the Orkney islands. Scapa is a small distillery that produces 1.3 million litres of whisky per year and the only one in Scotland that has a Lomond wash still – a type of still containing perforated plates that is a cross between a column and pot still.
Scapa also has the longest known fermentation time of any Scotch whisky distillery at 160 hours. Much of the production is used within Chivas Brothers’ blended whisky ranges, including Ballantine’s and Chivas Regal, with just a small percentage released as Scapa single malt. A new state-of-the-art tasting room was added to the visitor centre in 2022 and this looks over Scapa Bay.
The Scapa 10 Years Old is bottled at 48% ABV and is both non-chill filtered and of natural colour. It is available in selected specialist whisky retailers in selected world markets. A bottle should cost around £50.
Our Tasting Notes
The colour is vibrant gold and the nose is sweet and enticing. Aromas of vanilla fudge, toffee and apricot jam mingle with milk chocolate, green apple skin and a hint of confected strawberry (think of strawberry shoelaces). Some earthy and dusty spice also sits in the background, as do suggestions of lemon zest and hazelnut praline.
On the palate the whisky is sweet and sugary. It feels creamy with plenty of vanilla (think of good patisserie custard especially) and butterscotch up front. A hint of fresh peach and apricot accentuates this. Then comes some green apple, plus the hazelnut praline from the nose and that hint of strawberry shoelaces. The whisky becomes more expressive with time with something earthy and umami in the background – this was reminiscent of fresh mushroom. Hints of gingerbread, cinnamon and salty brine round things off nicely.
The finish is a little short if honest, especially once the fruity and sweet elements fade away. This leaves a peppery heat and a little dryness, plus the suggestion of that salty brine from the palate.
What’s The Verdict?
We thoroughly enjoyed our first tasting of the Scapa 10 Years Old – it is sweet, fruity and uplifting. Our last experience with the brand, and the no age statements of the time, made us think that it had lost its way somehow. But this whisky has restored our faith and Scapa seems back on the map with a bang. The revamp of the packaging should also be applauded – the bottle looks and feels great, and matches the quality of liquid that it holds. Lovely stuff.
