Morris Rutherglen Smoked Sherry Single Malt Australian Whisky (700ml)

The smoked Australian whisky category continues to challenge and expand. This addition was initially matured in STR ex-wine casks from wineries in the Barossa and Coonawarra, then finished in Morris Mia Aged Amber Apera casks that have undergone a heavy char method developed by Copper & Grain coopers. Weighing in at a solid 50% Alc./Vol., the aim has been to create “a marriage of impressive dried citrus sherry notes with a lingering smoky finish.”

Other reviews... By super heavy charring casks that previously held Morris Mia Aged Amber Apera – a wine I love, and which sits between a fino and amontillado sherry – the team have created a much drier and nuttier experience, altogether different from a peated sherry or port cask Scottish malt. (I’m fascinating to see how peated whisky fans take to this.) It’s another bold release from a brand that has quickly developed a large following on the back of sharply-priced, well-balanced whiskies. Despite their immediate success, the Morris folks have still got an appetite for pushing boundaries and striving for distinctly Rutherglen-style whiskies. The more of that kind of thinking we see in Australian whisky, the better... Bigger here than the Morris Smoked Muscat release, and palpably drier. The smoke drives down the palate on the higher ABV, but the creamier, fruitier elements from the apera casks provide much needed balance. Rewards multiple passes. At points, you find juicy citrus and walnut flavours from the apera, in other moments, nutmeg, wood spice and campfire. Doesn't take well to a drop of water, though, gets a bit wobbly and disjointed... Unlike any sherry cask whisky you've come across before, and as a uniquely Australian rendition of an old world style, this is a real achievement. It's a seriously adult whisky. Compared to the richer and stickier Morris Smoked Muscat, this is tightly balanced between something spry and nutty and something fresh out of a fire pit. And if you're not put off by the smoke, there's balance and finesse to be found here. It will definitely polarise, but absolutely worth trying. - Luke McCarthy, ozwhiskyreview.com.au

"...a great choice for single malt drinkers and for anyone curious about “peat-adjacent” whiskies — those that offer smoky complexity without the full Islay-style peat punch." - thewhiskyscribe.com