New Zealand is not the first country that comes to mind when one thinks of serious single malt whisky. It should be. Scapegrace Anthem is the kind of bottle that forces you to reconsider your assumptions about where great whisky can come from — and I say that as someone who has spent the better part of fifteen years with his nose in a Glencairn, most of those years pointed firmly at Scotland.
Scapegrace has built its reputation methodically, first through gin and now through a growing portfolio of single malts that reflect genuine ambition rather than mere novelty. Anthem sits as a core expression in their range, bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration — a decision I always respect. That strength gives the spirit room to express itself properly, without the muted quality you often find in whiskies dialled back to 40% for mass appeal. This is a whisky that wants to be taken seriously, and it earns that right.
As a NAS release, Anthem relies on the quality of its cask selection and blending rather than a number on the label. That is a perfectly legitimate approach when executed with care, and at £52.25 it sits in a competitive bracket where it must stand against well-established Scottish and Irish expressions. The fact that it holds its ground says a great deal about the distilling taking place on the South Island.
Tasting Notes
I would encourage anyone approaching this bottle to come without preconceptions. New Zealand single malts occupy their own space — shaped by a maritime climate, local barley, and water sources quite unlike anything in the Scottish Highlands or Speyside. What you can expect from Anthem is a whisky that balances approachability with enough depth to reward a slow pour. At 46%, there is genuine weight on the tongue, and the non-chill-filtered character means texture is preserved in full. This is not a whisky trying to imitate Scotch. It has its own identity, and that confidence is part of what makes it worth your time.
The Verdict
I have given Scapegrace Anthem a score of 7.9 out of 10. That reflects a whisky that is genuinely well made, thoughtfully presented, and priced fairly for what it delivers. It does not have the aged complexity of a twelve-year-old Speyside, nor should it try to. What it offers instead is a clean, confident expression of New World single malt distilling — one that demonstrates real craft rather than relying on geographic novelty as a selling point. For anyone curious about whisky beyond the traditional regions, this is an excellent place to start. For those already converted, it is a bottle that rewards revisiting.
Best Served
Pour it neat at room temperature and give it five minutes to open up in the glass. If you find the 46% carries a touch too much heat, a few drops of water will soften things nicely without losing the character. This is also a whisky that works beautifully in a Highball with good soda water and a twist of lemon peel — a serve that suits its clean, modern profile particularly well on a warm afternoon.
