Monkey Shoulder – Blended Malt Scotch Whisky – 40% abv

Info: Monkey Shoulder, launched in 2005, is a no age statement blend of three different single malts from William Grant, i.e. it’s a mix of Glenfiddich, Balvenie and Kininvie; it’s not a blend in the usual way as there’s no grain whisky in it, it’s all single malt. Why’s it got it’s name? The men who used to use shovels to turn the barley on the malting floors would develop large muscles and droopy arms which attracted the nickname of ‘Monkey Shoulder’.
Colour: Golden.
Nose: Surprisingly malty, woody and nutty; a fairly classic, quality speyside profile… gently sweet and fruity.
Palate: No doubt it’s chill filtered, but actually has a fairly thick mouthfeel. It’s very smooth and easily introduced to your palate, a touch of spices come through which balances up the sweet summery fruits and malt.
Finish: Fairly sweet and enjoyable, although not overly long; young oak notes stick around for quite a while however.
Thoughts: Nose, palate and finish all flow from one to another, no surprises. A great blend of whiskies here, at a really affordable price. It works well neat, over ice, or in cocktails.
Available: Master of Malt – £24.46 or widely available in supermarkets.

Thanks to Monkey Shoulder for the sample…. I’ve had this plenty of times before when out and about however, and this has refreshed my memory, it’s good to get some notes down!