Scapa

The discrete and pleasant smell of cereals annouces a sweet and relatively simple taste. The impression in the mouth gives lots of pleasure, however a slight lack of density and surprise is regrettable. A finish of average length. A good bottle from one of the sole Orkney distilleries.
The reasonable price makes it a very good quality-price rating.

A second tasting reveales some discrete qualities of this whisky. Slightly acid notes enhancing this relatively flat whisky. A pleasant finis, et the whole does not really justify the first quotation....

A rather pleasant nose recalling ripe fruits (something between pear and prune). In the palate, the first impression is some bitterness, and it develops on more floral notes. The sweetness detected by the nose is not present anymore. The finish is of average length, and the bitterness marking the palate is still present. It is a rather interesting bottling, despite a kind of simplicity in the taste.
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Another whisky which needs some attention in order to get all its qualities, which are not obvious immediately. The nose is very discrete at the beginning, however it is rather rich and various, between honey and more floral and aromatically richer hints. In the palate, not great taste explosions. Papillas are not really of the party. A good whisky, with some (sometimes too) subtil nuances. The finish is interesting, and relatively sweet, recalling honey and ripe fruit. A good bottle, to celebrate the reopening of the distillery, but it is certainly not the best production of Scapa.

The rather discrete nose is clearly on the fruits, peach, pear or melon, with some floral hints and a touch of honey. In the palate, the presence of honey remains, mixed with a kind of bitterness. A kind of watery feeling probably due to the percentage of alcohol. The mouth is clearly less interesting than the nose was. A touch of acidity, a touch of smoke and a touch of malt. The pleasant but too short finish is sweet with some discrete hints of malt. The frustration of the mouth just increases with the second sip, just like all following ones....

I expected a salted, peaty whisky, typical from the islands.... None of all. A wonderful whisky, sweet and with a lot of character. A slight predominance of malt? Anyway, an excellent whisky which has its place in each nice whisky collection. A long finish which leaves an excellent memory. Obviously, Chieftain's Choice is a very nice collection.
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A second tasting confirmed partially the first one. The nose is dominated by the sherry and other pleasant fragrances, the palate develops on malt and spices and quite a long and very pleasant finish had as result a slightly better rating this time.

The nose is clearly dominated by sherry, but reveals a nice complexity too, with discrete notes of spices amongst other sensations. In the palate, this whisky is really wonderful, with clear spicy notes, but staying however very nicely balanced and with a pleasant malty background. An extraordinary finish, giving the impression that this whisky is even greater after swallowing... A very long finish, where the spicy notes remain, but with some violet or more precisely, liquorice hints. This bottle was a real revelation at the third tasting.

The nose is pleasantly floral with a light veil of smoke on the background. After a while, fruity notes (exotic fruit, mango) appear.
In the palate, a very pleasant impression of chocolate and nuts, followed by fruits (banana, apple) and malt: a nice complexity. A voluptuous whisky.
The finish is long, pleasant marked by both the fruits and some slightly bitter hints (wood)