Scapegrace VANGUARD Single Malt

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Vanguard matures for three years in new French oak casks. This New Zealand single malt is made with locally grown Laureate barley malt, and each cask holds 200 litres. Unlike previously filled casks, this new oak has held no wine or spirits before.

Its fruity, creamy character combines pear and vanilla custard with Anzac biscuits, whose baked notes recall rolled oats and desiccated coconut. Vanguard is not smoky and is bottled at 46%. Its colour comes from maturation, with no added colouring or chill filtration.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, poached pears mingle with a delicate vanilla custard note and sweet impressions.
• Palate: The whisky feels silky and rounded on the palate. Vanilla custard and pear meet Anzac biscuits with oat and caramel notes; a subtle hint of coconut complements the sweet malt.
• Finish: The long, rich finish leaves a delicate malt note lingering. Vanilla, sweet caramel and toasted oats recall Anzac biscuits and oat biscuits made with golden syrup. The finish is also dry.

Distillery/Bottler:

Vanguard is an official Scapegrace bottling. The current Scapegrace distillery is situated in Central Otago on Lake Dunstan, near the 45th parallel south, with views of Mount Pisa. Following the search for a site, construction began in 2021. The cask warehouse, goods warehouse, operational facilities and headquarters were completed in 2022; the new distillery began operating in June 2024.

Under its Grain to Glass approach, Scapegrace oversees production from regionally grown barley on the Canterbury Plains through to the bottle. The distillery draws its water from the Clutha River, which is fed by glacial meltwater from New Zealand's Southern Alps. At the current site, hot summers contrast with cold winters; these pronounced seasons shape the conditions for cask maturation.

Facts: