Old Perth is one of those brands that tends to fly under the radar, which is a shame because what Morrison Scotch Whisky Company have been doing with sherry cask maturation deserves more attention. The Bodega expression — bottled at a punchy 52.4% ABV with no age statement — is their sherry-forward blended malt, and it's a bottle that punches well above its price point.
The name tells you most of what you need to know. 'Bodega' points directly to the Spanish sherry bodegas that supplied the casks, and Old Perth has built its identity around this particular style of maturation. This isn't a whisky that's been finished in sherry wood for a few months as a marketing exercise. The whole project is oriented around rich, full-bodied sherry cask character, and at cask strength, you get it without compromise.
What to Expect
At 52.4%, this is not a timid dram. The higher ABV means more flavour delivery and more texture — you're getting the whisky closer to how it comes out of the cask, before dilution smooths away the edges. For a blended malt at this strength, the integration is impressive. There's no rough patchwork of clashing distillery characters. Whatever Highland malt components are in the vatting, they've been selected to work with the sherry influence rather than fight against it.
The NAS designation won't bother anyone who's moved past the age statement fixation. What matters here is the quality of the wood and how the spirit interacts with it, and the Bodega delivers on both counts. The sherry cask influence is dominant but not cloying — an important distinction that separates good sherry-matured whisky from the overly sulphured examples that give the category a bad name.
The Verdict
At around £51.50, this sits in a competitive bracket. You're up against some decent single malts at that price, and plenty of other sherry-matured offerings. But few of them give you cask strength bottling and this level of sherry integration for the money. The Old Perth Bodega isn't trying to be subtle or complex in the way a well-aged single malt might be — it's going for richness, intensity, and satisfaction, and it hits all three.
I'm giving this a 7.6 out of 10. It's a genuinely good whisky that delivers exactly what it promises on the label. It's not going to rewrite your understanding of Scotch, but it will remind you that blended malts — done properly, with good casks and bottled at a strength that respects the liquid — can be outstanding value. The sherry cask category is crowded, but Old Perth has carved out a legitimate position in it.
Best Served
Pour it neat and let it sit in the glass for five minutes — at 52.4%, it needs a moment to open up. Add a few drops of water if you want to soften the ABV and pull out more of the sherry sweetness. This is an after-dinner whisky, ideally with something dark and slightly bitter alongside it — a square of 70% chocolate or a strong espresso. Don't waste it in a cocktail. The cask strength and sherry character are the whole point.
