I didn’t know the title they gave this whisky at the moment of tasting. I didn’t even know which distillery is number 17. But Appletiser and Rock Salt does sound like Scapa to me. They might have added vanilla but I think you then would have all the main flavours they get from the Orkney distillery.

I don’t know much about Scapa. I haven’t tried many of their drams apart from a hand full. It’s not even that I don’t care about the whisky. It’s more that when they’re available there’s always much more to choose from and they’re nowhere near the top of my list.

Let’s just see how this one fares.

Sniff:
Ridiculously sharp at first with strong indicators that this is a refill bourbon barrel. I get large hints of glue and varnish, but also warmth of resin and vanilla. Some nice hints and some not so nice hints. Apparently I was correct about the barrel by the way.

Scapa distillery. Image from Whiskybase

Sip:
The palate starts of with much more spicy notes. It’s kind of tingling with green peppers, curry and some fruity sweetness. Syrupy with vanilla creme. Also slight hints of wood and cork.

Swallow:
The finish is gentle and warming and the soft vanilla starts taking over from the harsh and spicy notes. Creme brulee, nougat.

In short, I find this whisky inconsistent and not very interesting because of it. There’s a total migration from harsh and gluey ex-bourbon to a vanilla high note in the end. The first bit is not really good and the latter bit is kind of generic.

Appletiser and Rock Salt, Scapa, 9yo, 57.2%, 2002-2011, Ex bourbon hogshead, Scotch Malt Whisky Society