Scapa - 12 year old

While visiting the Scapa distillery recently a bottle of the The Distillery Reserve Collection, non chill-filtered 12 year old Scapa cask strength whisky was brought home to enjoy. Distilled at the 10th of June 2003, matured in cask #9-12 and #14-16, and 2148 bottles bottled on the 29th July 2015 at 58,5%.

On the nose I get a fruity, creamy vanilla, sultana, dried cranberry and a sweet mulled wine note. Hints of woodpolish, blackcurrant, dried prunes and powdered sugar. Adding a good dash of water to it reveals a bit fresh grassy and soft herbal note. It releases some fresh raspberry and cassis note but very softly. 

Palate is filled with very dark fruit and wood notes. Dry and dark chocolate bitter notes lingering towards dried sage. After the first sharp note fades away it reveals a softer fruit and honey layer with the notes of the nose coming back. The finish is of medium length and a bit soft. With water added the palate becomes more accessible but still shows the dryer herbal and wood note. The soft fruit notes are a bit weakened due to the dilution, and are giving me the feeling of apples and puffed pastry. The finish still feels like a medium length but changed now a bit to a combination between a nutty note and coffee bitters. Scoring me an 7,5 out of 10, not that crazy about the palate...