Scapa

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Founded

1885

Region

Island

Status

Operational

Company

Pernod Ricard

Production type

Single malt

Production capacity

1,300,000 litres per year

Scapa distillery was the third to be legally constructed on Orkney, preceded by Highland Park and Stromness (although outlasting the latter). It was built in 1885, and its early history was blighted with fires and closures before it was bought by Hiram Walker & Sons in 1954. As with several of their other distilleries, it experimented with the use of Lomond stills, installing one at Scapa in 1959. Although it was decommissioned 20 years later, the still itself continues to be used, now without the rectifying plates and it is the only one of this type still producing Scotch whisky.

Today the distillery is part of the Pernod Ricard Scotch whisky holdings and managed by its Chivas Brothers division.

Scapa single malts have been available since the 1970s when, like several other Hiram Walker properties, its brand was licensed to Gordon & MacPhail. These, along with Balblair and Old Pulteney, were originally labelled with a uniform use of black-bordered white labels with red text and black band through the centre, although a more unique aesthetic was introduced for each by the 1980s. Gordon & MacPhail have continued to use this as part of their Distillery Labels range.

Allied Distillers assumed responsibility for the Scapa brand in the 1990s, introducing a 12-year-old age statement that although not originally a part of its Caledonian Malts stable when launched in 1991, it later replaced Tormore in the collection after the Speyside distillery experienced disappointing sales. A 14-year-old was then sold instead between 2004 and 2008.

In 2008 a new core range was launched which featured a 16-year old and a batch release called Skiren. The former was discontinued to the dismay or many in 2015, however returned in a refresh of the brand identity and its core range in 2024, joined by a new 10- and 21-year-old.

Current owner

2005-present

1994-2005

1987-1994

Hiram Walker-Gooderham & Worts

1954-1987

Bloch Brothers

1936-1954