Scapa 16yo 40%

Scapa is the unsung hero of Orkney always over shadowed by her more well known neighbour Highland Park, but just like with women perhaps its the quiet timid ones that you need to watch out for rather than those that are always striving to be in the limelight. (Christ I wrote this drivel before I even had a dram!)



Anyway the 14yo bottling has now been replaced with a 16yo bottled at 40% lets see how it fairs:



Nose: Quite warming and initially stewed apples, a slight musty lemon note, dry compost and a faint coastal note - actually smells a bit stronger than 40%



Taste: Brown bread with salted butter, touch of hessian sack, drying, nutty and quite cereal like. Seems a bit younger than 16yo and bizarrely thin on the mouth yet clawing at the same time.



Finish: Very drying, wet pencils and clawing wood. fairly decent length with saltiness developing - just wish some fruitiness or something would develop.



Comment: Sometimes the shy timid ones are just a little bit dull and boring. I maybe expected a bit much not a bad dram but left me wanting so much more!



Score: 81/100

Price check

Royal Mile Whiskies - £51.95

The Whisky Exchange - £51.99

Single Malts Direct - £48.99

It wasn't until I did the price check on this that I realised just how expensive this is, I think they are taking the piss a little with this when you could get the excellent 14yo Scapa for £39.99 would you pay an extra £12.00 for an extra 2 years I would say no - but maybe I am just being tight!

Mortlach 16yo Dewar Rattray Cask 4238 55.5%

With the Mortlach 16yo Flora & Fauna now unavailable rumours having it that it will never return or if it does it will be 4 years I have been reccomended this Dewar Rattray bottling as a suitable replacement so here goes:

Nose: Big Huge sherried Mortlach Nose, darl treacle then a creaminess - typical mortlach meatiness and then toffee doughnuts!

Taste: Big bitting sherry, cinnamon and lots of dried fruits in tupperware boxes.

Finish: Thick tingling and warming. Tails off into a little bit of sulphur but not too unpleasant.

Comment: I really like this - if it wasn't for the slight sulphur end this would score more.

Score: 91/100

Longmorn 16 - nice packaging?

Well got a quick sniff of the new Longmorn 16yo tonight. Was looking forward to this but the reality is you are paying £50 for a 16yo at 48% abv no sorry you are paying £50 for a bit of extra metal, leather and a fancy box - what ever floats your boat I suppose! Anyway on to the tasting I will try and not let the hideous price increase and my love of the 15yo cloud my judgement too much.



Nose: quite a bit of perfume and a dryness comes out beyond the typical toffeeish Longmorn.



Taste: orange sherbert, touch woody and a little musty. More citrus notes.



Finish: funny - and not ha ha! Dry wood and more dusty sherbert notes. Ok but dissapointing.



Comment: maybe I am tasting this in a negative frame of mind. All in all not bad but not great - buy the 15 while you still can.





Score: 80/100