Founded in the Orkney Islands in 1885 by John Townsend, a distiller from Speyside, the Scapa distillery is, alongside its neighbour Highland Park, the most northerly distillery in Scotland. The distillery was mothballed in 1994 by its then owner (Allied Distillers) and only a few distillations completed by the Highland Park team enabled Scapa to survive. It officially began production again in 2005, after it was bought by the French spirits giant Pernod Ricard.

An Orkney single malt produced at the Scapa distillery, aged for at least 14 years, distilled on 9 May 1979, aged in oak casks (#3851 and #3852) and bottled in April 1994. A limited edition of 600 bottles. Bottle numbered and equipped with a cork stopper and gold foil seal.