New Release: SCAPA Official No Age Batch SK01

Although labeled as a batch, it seems they will transition to no-age statements moving forward. SCAPA SCAPA OB BATCH SK01 40% FIRST FILL AMERICAN OAK CASKS The aroma is floral, with notes of orange marmalade, subtly peachy, strong black tea, gentle barley, and firm oak. On the palate, orange marmalade and faint pineapple, a smooth sweetness, mild tannins from oak, and a balanced barley note with a pleasant finish. [Good/Very Good] This is SCAPA's official new release no-age statement bottle. While SCAPA traditionally offers a 16-year-old matured whisky, due to a long hiatus until the mid-2000s, it's likely challenging to continue producing 16-year-old releases. Although this bottle has a batch label and isn't standard, I believe no-age statements will become more prevalent in the coming years. Regarding the content, it was surprisingly good. During the 16-year-old new release, I noticed some sawdusty nuances, but this bottle, despite being 100% first-fill bourbon casks, had almost no woody or harsh notes. The fruity nuances were well-expressed, and the barley note felt refined for a no-age malt, making it a pleasant drinking experience. In recent years, there's been an increase in no-age statements, with the benefit of using diverse cask strengths mentioned. However, I often find that many no-age bottles have strong flavoring or emphasize youthful cask characteristics. It's refreshing when something like this aligns with my preferences. By the way, this bottle has its two front labels intentionally offset. While I'm not particularly neurotic, this labeling method feels slightly odd and uncomfortable to me. In my hometown, we call this kind of thing 'izu' (a dialect term), but I used it normally for years without knowing it was a dialect. (Laugh) And even now, I haven't found a more convenient word to replace it. #SCAPA (SCAPA)