Scapegrace Whisky Range Review
New Zealand has a reputation for being one of the most beautiful countries in the world. If you’ve ever seen it for yourself, you certainly won’t argue with that reputation. Not only is it home to lush green pastures, tender lamb, a formidable rugby team, and Hobbiton – home of the Hobbits, it turns out it’s also home to some fantastic whisky, produced by the Scapegrace distillery.
Situated in Central Otago, surrounded by the majestic and imposing Mount Pisa and the gorgeous shimmering waters of Lake Dunstan, you’ll find the Scapegrace Distillery.
Founded by two brothers-in-law back in 2014, Scapegrace is a distillery specializing in a number of spirits, including vodka, gin, and of course, whisky.
Made from the purest rock-filtered Southern Alps glacial runoff water, their spirits are amongst the cleanest and purest you’ll ever taste. Their whisky has also been turning a lot of heads in the whisky world and is something which certainly piqued our interests here at GreatDrams.
Here’s a quick look at some of their most popular drams.
The first Scapegrace whisky that I’ll be reviewing for you today is their Anthem whisky.
Scapegrace created this whisky as a way of honouring New Zealand’s land and climate. I’ll tell you now, they absolutely nailed this one.
This copper bronze coloured whisky comes in at 46% ABV, yet is much smoother than I anticipated.
On the nose, you get light floral notes, tied together with sweet ripe apples, summer hay, freshly cut grass, and a sprinkling of baking spices.
On the palate, more of those crisp, ripe orchard fruits become immediately present. I also picked up candied walnuts here, sweet summer fruits, spice, sweet vanilla, and a hint of caramel and oak.
The finish was medium in length with great mouthfeel. Again, spiced walnut and apples were the dominant notes here, tied together with a touch of salted caramel and oak.
Next up, was Scapegrace Vanguard.
Another 46% ABV release, it’s a little darker in colour than the Anthem expression, yet it’s every bit as exquisite.
On the nose, I can’t help but be reminded of Speyside, as there are sweet and creamy notes here. Poached pears in syrup and vanilla crème caramel were what I first picked up, closely followed by sticky jam and almonds.
On the palate, the vanilla was back, this time in custard form. There’s also plenty of orchard fruit notes, sweet malt, a touch of honey, golden syrup, toasted oats, and a small hint of desiccated coconut.
The finish was dryer than anticipated, though that was no bad thing. There’s more sweet caramel and vanilla notes, accompanied by toasted oats and golden syrup. Scapegrace describe New Zealand Anzac biscuits as one of the overriding flavours, and I can definitely get that. It also reminded me of a golden syrup flapjack. Either way, I loved the finish on this one.
Scapegrace Fortitude is number V as part of their limited release range in the countdown to their Core range.
This 46% ABV expression was made using smoked Manuka malted barley, before spending at least three years in French oak casks to give it a deep golden amber hue.
On the nose, you can definitely pick up more than a hint of smoke, accompanied by sweet honey, oak, and candied peel.
On the palate, pears poached in red wine syrup quickly shone through, along with more honey, a hint of vanilla, liquorice, dried cranberries and apricots, and charred oak.
The finish had a great mouthfeel and was much smoother than anticipated considering the smoky notes. There were smoked pears, more honey, and a touch of burnt orange.
Scapegrace Chorus was up next, and this may have been my favourite of all.
Again, aged for more than three years in French oak barrels, this whisky has a much darker walnut colour than the others. There’s also a nice chest-warming effect thanks to its 46% ABV.
On the nose, I picked up pear drops, citrus peel, lemon balm, and floral notes. This was very fresh and crisp.
On the palate, more pear and apple flavours came through, along with winter baking spices, candied lemon and limes, honey, and a touch of ginger.
The finish was lengthy and really stuck around. It was clean, crisp, and refreshing. Plenty of citrus fruit notes with this one. It would make an amazing summer sipper or aperitif.
Finally, I’ll finish up with a look at Scapegrace Fortuna.
Limited Edition number 6, this was my second favourite of all.
With a golden toffee colour, and also at 46% ABV, it looks so inviting, both in the bottle and when freshly poured.
On the nose, there are notes of buttery shortbread, freshly baked biscuits, and stewed apples.
On the palate, sweet toasted chestnut flavours shine through, closely accompanied by honey, sticky toffee pudding notes, crisp orchard fruits, and a whisper of vanilla and French oak.
The finish lingers, leaving you with more apple and honey notes, buttery biscuits, and tannin-rich oak.
If you’re looking for whisky, or whisky-related info, be sure to head on over to GreatDrams.com and take a look at some of the amazing multiple-award-winning whiskies we have available.
Whether you’re after a fruity Speyside, a peaty Islay, or anything in between, at GreatDrams we’ve got you covered. We’ve also an abundance of whisky-related info for you to read at your leisure, so be sure to check out our blog.
Greg
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