The Redheaded stepchild of Orkney Distilleries, Scapa has had some ups and downs since being founded in 1885. From 1994 to 2005 the distillery was closed entirely. The industry giant, Pernod-Ricard, then acquired and reopened it. The initial release was this 14 year, which replaced the traditional Scapa 12. This year Scapa has replaced their 14 year with a 16 year, at a much higher price point. If you want to try this good value malt you’ll probably need to act somewhat quickly.

After claiming that Highland Park 12 Year bests the 18 Year in our recent review, it’s only fair to give the 18 its spot in the limelight.  With Spirit Journal calling this the “best whisky in the world,” we were apprehensive whether this whisky would live up to the hype.  While the 12 Year comes in at $65 Canadian, is there any reason to spend an additional $85 for the extra 6 years the 18 year offers?

Way up in the nether northern regions of Scotland lies the island of Orkney, home to the self proclaimed greatest spirit in the world. Confusingly, the whisky is named after another region of whisky far to the south. Highland Park, built in 1798 in Kirkwall, which is slightly higher than the surrounding area. Highland Park malts its own barley, using local peat during the distillation.