Morris Sherry Barrel

Morris has announced and released the third whisky in its permanent or core-range portfolio.  Morris Sherry Barrel joins its two stablemates, the Signature and the Muscat Barrel.

Morris – a name associated with wine-making for more than 150 years – launched its whisky brand and its first two releases in June 2021, and the Sherry Barrel has joined the party some 16 months later.  Whisky & Wisdom has previously told the full story of Morris whisky in our feature piece here (including a review and discussion of the Signature release), so we won’t repeat all the details on this occasion – click on the preceding link for the full background or to re-familiarise yourself with the Morris story.  

Since our original profile piece in 2021 at the time of the brand’s launch, Morris has wasted no time in collecting the attention of the whisky community, not to mention collecting numerous awards and accolades along the way.  Both the Signature and Muscat Barrel expressions have won an impressive number of gold medals, trophies, and awards at various international spirits competitions around the world, including a Double Gold and Best in Class award for the Muscat Barrel.  All the more impressive when you consider that these whiskies remain two of the sharpest priced and most affordable Australian single malts – $95 and $145 respectively, in 700ml bottles.

Not surprisingly, Morris has released one or two limited releases to complement its core-range.  A Tokay Barrel expression appeared as an exclusive for The Whisky Club, and one assumes that further editions finished in ex-Topaque barrels may emerge in the future.  Morris also released a Smoked Muscat Barrel expression, although it would be fair to observe that that particular release split the pack somewhat, with not all consumers entirely enamoured with its unique flavour profile.

Meanwhile, what of the Morris Sherry Barrel?  Like its Muscat Barrel sibling, the whisky is first matured in a mix of both American and French oak ex-red wine barrels before being transferred to ex-fortified casks for a finishing period.  In this instance, the finishing casks are those that previously held Morris of Rutherglen’s 10yo Amber Apera.  (The term “sherry” now enjoys protected designation of origin status, meaning that producers of the wine outside the so-called sherry triangle in Spain can no longer refer to their product as sherry.  Australia now uses the term apera – derived from aperitif – for its home-grown product.  However, since this is a whisky product and not the wine itself, the term Sherry Barrel can be used.)   It’s been bottled at 46% ABV, which is the same strength as the Muscat Barrel release, and compares with 40% for the Signature.

Morris of Rutherglen’s Amber Apera is a fino sherry, which is at the lighter and drier end of sherry’s spectrum.  (You might like to read our feature article, The whisky lover’s complete guide to sherry if you need to brush up).  This is in contrast to the majority of sherried Scotch whiskies that are chiefly matured or finished in ex-oloroso casks.  As such, Morris Sherry Barrel is unique in its flavour, and fans of the style should not dive in expecting something akin to a Glendronach or the like. 

So with all that as background, how does the whisky stack up?  Here are our thoughts:

Morris Sherry Barrel, NAS, 46%

Close up photo of the label.

Nose: The first nosing throws off a pronounced floral note, like a floral perfume, perhaps even with some rosewater thrown in for good measure.  The second nosing betrays the whisky’s fino apera background.  There’s a dry yeastiness to it, almost like having a dry white wine paired with sour dough.  There’s also underlying hints of freshly cut pinewood. 

Palate: Again, the fino apera is evident:  Crisp, dry apples; Aperol Spritz; fruit’n’nuts dried mix.  Some balancing sweetness comes in the form of Danish pastry, complete with a creaminess across the mouthfeel.

Finish: Not a long way removed from the finish you’d encounter with a hopped Indian Pale Ale.  But it remains sweet and doesn’t deteriorate or drift to becoming bitter.  A pleasant oakiness underpins the whisky’s footprint, with some vanilla, together with Arnotts Milk Arrowroot biscuits.  There’s also a faint smokiness lurking in the background. 

Comments: It’s important to appreciate that the sherry barrel influence here is from fino apera and not oloroso.  Accordingly, fans of sherried whiskies in the style of Glenfarclas/Glendronach – or, closer to home, Amber Lane or Joadja – looking for something along those line will need to adjust their expectations.  There’s a pleasant, dry yeasty note to this whisky that makes it quite the “session dram”, since you’re not overwhelmed by sherry, oak, or peat accumulating on the palate.  It’s quite a counterpoint to Morris’ flagship “Signature” release, and you might face a challenge trying to decide which one you prefer – there’s a distinct difference between the two.  If you’re a fan of drier white wines like sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio, and certainly if you’re a fan of fino sherry, then the Morris Sherry Barrel will be right up your alley.   

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Morris Sherry Barrel is available through several Australian retailers around the country, and also directly via Morris Whisky’s website.  RRP is $145.

Cheers,
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PS. You can read our feature piece on Morris whisky and our thoughts on their Signature expression here.

PPS: For those that care about such things, Whisky & Wisdom did not receive a press release, or a sample bottle, or a request from a PR agent to promote Morris Sherry Barrel.  We rarely do.  As is often the case, W&W simply purchased a bottle as a punter, and felt compelled to tell the whisky’s story.

The complete guide to oak, casks, & whisky maturation

Whisky maturation is both a simple and, yet, incredibly complex process.  Let’s look at the subject in detail; explore what the distilleries are doing; address a few myths; and explain all the beautiful things that happen when we age whisky in oak casks…

One of the quintessential images associated with whisky these days is the classic “action shot” inside the warehouse.  Think of those old-school, dunnage style, dimly-lit warehouses with earth floors and casks racked just two or three tiers high.  It’s an evocative image, showcasing the majestic oak casks quietly slumbering, doing their part to mature the spirit that will one day give us delicious whisky. 

Oak casks maturing in warehouses - Whisky maturation

But it wasn’t always this way.  Whisky – uisge beatha, or the water of life – was originally an unaged spirit, taken off the still and flavoured with additives such as honey or heather to quell the drink’s aggressive nature and to make it more palatable.   Tradition, or perhaps just a convenient story for the distillery tour guides, tells us that the maturation and aging of whisky was a happy accident.  Variations on the story abound, but the crux of it is that some unfortunate person had more uisge beatha than he could immediately consume, and so he put it in an oak cask to store it until he was ready for it.  The cask was left alone or forgotten about for some time, and when it was finally retrieved, he made the happy discovery that the spirit had mellowed, improved, and taken on new characteristics.  Maturation, as we know it today, was born.

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The whisky lover’s complete guide to sherry

When you first start to explore the world of single malt Scotch whisky, you learn early on that the vast majority of whisky is matured in two different types of casks:  Casks that previously held bourbon, and casks that previously held sherry

With further exploration and perhaps some self-education with your nose and palate, you’ll probably begin to be able to identify when a whisky’s maturation journey has been influenced by sherry casks.   In other words, you’ll either smell or taste the sherry cask influence on the spirit.  And, like many people, you might even find yourself favouring the sherried style of whisky, and you’ll have a preference for the distilleries that make sherry cask maturation a feature of their house style and portfolio.  (Glenfarclas, Glendronach, and Macallan arguably being the three main front-runners in this regard, although the Aberlour’s a’Bunadh release is also a long-time favourite).

Whilst many people understand and appreciate the concept of using second hand sherry casks to mature whisky, few people actually understand or appreciate sherry by and of itself.  What is sherry, as a drink?  What are the different types of sherry?  Do some sherry types work better with Scotch whisky than others?  If you’re one of the many whisky lovers who enjoys a sherried dram, Whisky & Wisdom presents this complete guide to sherry to help you understand more about what you’re actually enjoying and why…..

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Five whiskies for Christmas

Need a whisky for Christmas?  Once upon a time, whisky was whisky, and Santa wasn’t too discerning when it came to what special dram you left out for him on Christmas Eve.  But as for us consumers?  Well, Christmas = Christmas pudding, and that means dried fruits, raisins, dates, boozy prunes, butterscotch sauce, toffee, cherries, currants, cloves, cinnamon, and spices.  And THAT, my friends, means a Christmas dram has to be sherried!

Here are five sensational sherry-matured whiskies that will fit the bill this Christmas.  Four are regularly and widely available; one is an Australia-only exclusive….

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Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh

Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh. Do you have a favourite? Have you already decided on a winner? Did you actually taste the two back-to-back to arrive at your conclusion? Does any comparison of the two simply come down to brand loyalty, or is there something objective we can measure?

If there’s a rivalry amongst the whisky producers, it would best be described as “friendly”. While the likes of William Grant & Sons and Pernod Ricard duke it out for the biggest selling single malt in the world (i.e. Glenfiddich and Glenlivet respectively), both companies know that, firstly, sales need to be considered across their full portfolios, and that their blends (e.g. Grants, Chivas, and Ballantines) are where the real volume is. Secondly, that what’s good for the category is good for everyone in the category. In other words, as long as the rising tide is floating all boats, then things are pretty rosy.

If there are rivalries amongst the brands, they’re being driven by consumers and punters, and they have their origins in the chatter on social media and in whisky forums. And so, in the Speyside stakes, we have Glenfiddich 12 versus Glenlivet 12. Over on Islay, we have Lagavulin versus Laphroaig. And for those who love their cask-strength sherry monsters, we have Glenfarclas 105 versus Aberlour a’Bunadh.

Both whiskies are cask-strength; both are natural colour; both are heavily sherried; and – in Australia, at least – both carry the same price tag of $140. (Equates to US$96 / 87 Euros / £75).  That’s what they have in common, so let’s look in detail at how and where they differ….

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Johnnie Walker Black Label Sherry Edition

The Johnnie Walker stable of whiskies continues to grow and expand, as the latest edition to the Black Label, the “Sherry Edition” demonstrates.   Whisky & Wisdom has covered off most of the new releases and expressions in recent times (see links below), but whether Johnnie Walker is your cup of tea or not, you can’t accuse the world’s biggest selling brand of Scotch whisky of standing still.  I guess that’s why Johnnie Walker is the striding gent.

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Ardnamurchan 2016/AD

It’s hardly shiny or earth-shattering news to write that new distilleries are popping up all over Scotland.  In fact, such a statement is unlikely to pique any interest amongst the more learned whisky enthusiasts.  However, what does become interesting is when you start to look at the geography of these new distilleries.  Many are now re-populating the Lowlands, such as the Glasgow Distillery, or the wee-explosion of distilleries in Fife (e.g. Kingsbarns, Daftmill, etc).  Others are adding to the spectrum of Speyside, such as Ballindalloch or Dalmunach.

When starting a new distillery in these current times, the owners will be looking for some key necessities when deciding upon the site of their distillery.  In addition to the most obvious requirement (i.e. a good water source), other considerations will be existing infrastructure, convenient access, shared resources, a ready-made tourist trail for visitors, and ease of transport for both the delivery of raw materials and the departure of spirit and filled casks.  So – with all these essentials being key to a successful distillery start-up, why would you choose to locate your distillery in one of the most far flung, remote, and inaccessible parts of Scotland?  In the case of Ardnamurchan, the answer is pretty simple:  Because they can.

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The highs and lows of Macallan

Malt whisky drinkers around the world tend to fall into one of two camps:  Those that like Macallan and those that remember what it used to be like. So has the whisky changed? And why is Macallan so expensive these days?

Now before you leap to conclusions and dismiss this piece as a Macallan-bashing article, I can give you my golden promise that it’s not.   Stay with us

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The Ultimate Glenfarclas Tasting

Back in 2007, a very special whisky event was held in Sydney, Australia.  Held at Sydney’s iconic Claude’s restaurant, it was billed as “The Ultimate Ardbeg Dinner” and it featured an unbelievable line up of the rarest Ardbeg bottlings ever assembled, including the 1965.  That particular event had been preceded a year earlier by an incredible Macallan tasting (featuring the full ESC range, as well as rare bottlings from the 1980’s). And, only a short time prior to that, there was the unbelievable Springbank tasting, which featured the entire Millennium range of Springbanks.  These were the glory days of tasting and appreciating the uber rare, special, and expensive releases amongst Scotland’s elite single malt bottlings and distilleries.  In terms of the rarity of the whiskies at the Ultimate Ardbeg Dinner, many thought such an event could never be equalled.  We may finally have found a successor…

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Glenfarclas Distillery – a family affair

What follows is a full and detailed profile of the Glenfarclas distillery.  I’ve prepared and written up similar distillery profiles and feature pieces for many different publications and outlets in the past, and this feature piece will be no different.  But, in the interests of full disclosure, let’s declare all interests:  Glenfarclas is my favourite distillery.  There.  I’ve said it…

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