In this video I crack into Morris Whisky’s French Oak Single Barrel release (54.8% cask strength) and try to answer a simple question: is this the real Morris spirit, without the usual wine or fortified wine fingerprints? This is bottle 248 of just 339, filled October 2019 and bottled February 2025 (just over 5 years old), non-chill filtered and bottled by hand. I jumped on the review quickly because the last Morris single cask sold out in about two weeks—and this one’s just as likely to disappear fast. On the nose I get oak front and centre—like walking into a barrel house—backed by honey sweetness and a burnt-toffee edge. On the palate, my first sip was punchy (first sip of the day will do that), but it quickly settles into burnt butter, shortbread/biscuity malt, and a soft creamy mouthfeel that coats the mouth. The big takeaway is how clearly the malt spirit shows through here; the French oak adds structure and savoury spice without drowning everything in wine character. One important correction: I initially wondered if it was virgin French oak, but it’s actually a French oak red wine barrel that was shaved, toasted, and re-charred—so the red wine influence comes through as minimal. If you want the purest look yet at Morris’s DNA, this is a cracking bottle for exploration (even if my personal favourite is still the Dur single cask for that chocolate note).