Scapa Jutland profits will be donated to RNLI

Scapa Jutland is a new single cask single malt Scotch whisky from Chivas Brothers. It has been specially crafted to mark the centenary of the Battle of Jutland. Scapa was used as a base by the British naval fleet during the First World War and the artisanal island single malt distillery has released 249 bottles of Scapa Jutland (RRP £200) with all profits from their sale, estimated at over £45,000, to be donated by Chivas Brothers to the RNLI.

Of the 249 bottles released, 11 have been named in memory of ships from the British and German Navies that fought during the conflict, including HMS Invincible, HMS Queen Mary and HMS Collingwood and HMS Indefatigable. HMS Indefatigable will be placed up for auction through Master of Malt in future in order to raise further funds for the RNLI.

Produced in association with the family of Admiral John Rushworth Jellicoe – Commander of the British Grand Fleet that fought at Jutland from 30th May to 1st June 1916 – Scapa Jutland is exclusively available from the Scapa Visitor Centre alongside the centenary commemoration of the Battle of Jutland on Orkney, 31st May 2016, at the RRP of £200.

Scapa and the British Royal Navy share over 100 years of cooperative history dating back to when Admiral Jellicoe used the distillery, situated overlooking the Scapa Flow on the remote Orkney Isles, as his base during the First World War. Admiral Jellicoe saved the distillery from a fire during his tenure and thanked Scapa for services rendered during the war, by building a wooden staircase in the mill room as a memorial to the British Royal Navy.

Brian MacAulay, Scapa master distiller, says, “We are thrilled to present Scapa Jutland, a true Orcadian Single malt that has been crafted using traditional methods and thoughtfully matured for 16 years in a single first-fill American oak cask. Bursting with sweet, tropical fruit flavours and notes of vanilla, toffee and butter scotch, this single cask expression is harmoniously balanced with a long, sweet and spicy finish and is a fitting tribute to the commemorations here on Orkney.”

Ross Martin, RNLI corporate partnerships manager, says: “The RNLI are very grateful to Chivas Brothers and the Scapa Whisky Distillery for their generous offer of donating all profits from the sale of Scapa Jutland to help fund the crew training requirements at our three Orkney Islands Lifeboat Stations. Crew training is a substantial investment but a vital one. RNLI volunteer crew really are ordinary people doing extraordinary things and we owe it to them to provide the best training possible. The funds raised from the sale of this limited edition malt will be used to support our lifesavers and help us continue to save lives at sea.”

Pictured above: RNLI Lifeboat crew member Graham Campbell and Nicola Stevenson, Scapa Distillery visitor manager

1 June 2016 - Felicity Murray The Drinks Report, editor