Old Perth is one of those brands that tends to fly under the radar of the single malt obsessives, and frankly, that suits me fine. More for the rest of us. Produced by Morrison Scotch Whisky Company — the same outfit behind the well-regarded Càrn Mòr range — Old Perth has quietly built a reputation for delivering sherry-forward blended malts that punch well above their price point. This Double Sherry Wood expression is, I'd argue, the sweet spot of their lineup.
The proposition here is straightforward: take a blended malt Scotch, mature it in sherry casks, then finish it in a second type of sherry cask. No age statement, bottled at a healthy 48.2% ABV without chill filtration. It's the kind of spec sheet that suggests the liquid inside was given priority over the marketing budget, which is always a promising sign.
What makes Old Perth interesting from an industry perspective is how it occupies a category — blended malt — that the Scotch whisky world has historically undersold. Blended malts sit in an awkward middle ground: too "blended" for the single malt purists, too "malt" for the value-driven blended Scotch crowd. But that middle ground is precisely where some of the most drinkable whisky lives. You get the complexity of marrying different malt distillates with the focus of an all-malt recipe. No grain whisky here, just malt, sherry wood, and a clear vision of what the final product should taste like.
What to Expect
With double sherry cask influence and no age statement, expect this to lean heavily into rich, dark fruit territory. The 48.2% ABV gives it enough muscle to carry those heavier sherry notes without becoming cloying — a problem that plagues some cheaper sherry-bomb whiskies. The lack of an age statement isn't a red flag here; Morrison have form for selecting casks on flavour rather than number, and at this price point, NAS allows them to blend for consistency and character rather than chasing a number on the box.
This is unapologetically a sherry-driven whisky. If you're looking for coastal peat or delicate floral Highland character, look elsewhere. Old Perth knows what it is, and it commits fully. I respect that.
The Verdict
At £44.95, Old Perth Double Sherry Wood sits in a competitive bracket. You could spend similar money on an entry-level single malt from a big-name distillery and get something perfectly pleasant but unremarkable. Or you could take a punt on this and get a whisky with genuine personality and a flavour profile that would cost you significantly more from a named sherry-cask single malt. The 48.2% ABV and non-chill-filtered approach show a producer who respects the drinker enough to bottle the whisky properly rather than diluting it down to an inoffensive 40%.
I'm giving this a 7.6 out of 10. It's a confident, well-constructed blended malt that delivers exactly what it promises. It doesn't pretend to be something it isn't, and in a market increasingly cluttered with overpackaged, overpriced NAS releases from bigger names, that honesty is worth something. A reliable bottle to keep on the shelf.
Best Served
Pour it neat in a Glencairn and give it five minutes to open up — the higher ABV rewards patience. If you find it carries too much heat, a few drops of water will soften it nicely without drowning the sherry influence. This also works remarkably well as the base for a Rob Roy if you're in a cocktail mood — the sherry richness pairs naturally with sweet vermouth, and at 48.2%, it won't get lost behind the other ingredients.
