Monkey Shoulder is a blended malt Scotch whisky from William Grant & Sons, crafted using single malts from Glenfiddich, Balvenie, and Kininvie—no grain whisky in sight. First launched in 2003 as a bartender-friendly alternative to traditional blends, it was aged in first-fill bourbon barrels and blended in small batches to create a smooth, versatile profile ideal for cocktails.
With bold branding that broke away from Scotch’s stuffy image, it became a trailblazer in the early 2000s whisky renaissance. Since then, it’s expanded with variants like Smokey Monkey and Fresh Monkey, keeping the brand fresh and relevant.
Designed for mixing, Monkey Shoulder enhances classic whisky cocktails (where it really excels) like an Old Fashioned or a Whisky Sour. If you're after a whisky that's fun, full of flavour, and has a bit of history behind it, then pick up a bottle of Monkey Shoulder. You won't be disappointed!
Its quirky name nods to a repetitive strain injury once suffered by maltmen turning barley by hand.
An elegant, stylish nose of marmalade, Crema Catalana (apologies, but it really is there), cocoa and malt. Plenty of vanilla and a sprinkling of winter spice (nutmeg, cloves and cinnamon) alongside a mouth-watering hint of aniseed.
Very malty, creamy delivery with a suggestion of berry fruit. Juicy toasted barley, cloves and butterscotch. Manuka honey, hot-buttered-toast and dried apricot develop.
Medium length, spicy oak and a hint of peppermint on the tail.
This is whisky to be enjoyed. According to the Monkey Shoulder website: "Some say it tastes just like riding bareback on the wild moors of Scotland with a flame-haired maiden on Christmas morning. Others agree it tastes like 007 wearing a tuxedo wetsuit."
Monkeys smell like the working class, but taste like a patissier. A grainy bouquet of home-made beer, bread and chalk (& pear on the horizon) is greeted by a sweet palate of caramel, toffee and candy.
I fell in love with Haighs Dimple on my first visit to Glasgow for Hogmanay 1956. I am older and wiser now. If there is a whisky better than Monkey Shoulder, in the same price range. THEN I AM A MONKEY' UNCLE. I absolutley love it.
Nice looking bottle, nothing special about the whiskey. I bought it because I liked the bottle. It's amazing how if you fill a fancy looking bottle with the very cheapest brandy everyone in the room suddenly turns into a whiskey tasting expert, and they never say it's rubbish! I highly recommend buying this for the bottle.
Especially if you dont want to dip into your Balvenie Doublewood all the time.
I know good scotch from bad, and both bottles of the Monkey Shoulders i've had have have delicious, if not particularly characterful - reminiscent, in fact, of Dewars 12 - but rather more intense. This blended malt is then, unsurprisingly, a perfect scotch for cocktails and casually getting loaded. As advertised, by the makers, I might add - as well as many of the reviewers. Meanwhile, the reviews are, statistically, a classic `brassiere curve' with maxima at 1 and 4 stars. WAKE UP LADS AND LASSIES bottle variation often occurs when a new blend is being established - for a multitude of fairly obvious reasons including fluctuations in constituent malt supply, manufacturer tinkering, chaotic and faulty shipping and storage as markets are being established - the list goes on. I'm sure that if we keep buying the stuff, the Grant boys will settle it down - and we'll be blessed with a terrific value in under $40 classic booze - my `house malt' until someone makes something better.
