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."
Was excited to try a blended or vatted malt. Love Glenfiddich and Balvenie is my current favorite - so how could a blend of three malts go bad? I tried it neat and had a burning alcohol sensation on first sip. I would have guessed it was a cask strength malt. Added some water and it calmed down a little. Finished it with ice. Don't think this will be my new everyday malt - for the price I'll by Glenmorangie 10 and enjoy my evening dram.
Stay away from this whisky, i have tried A LOT of different whisky brand and this is not a matter of taste, there's just something very, very wrong with this piece of crap. It has a very intense smell of wet newspapers, damp cardboxes, i can smell mold and sweat. Yes, sweat, body odour witch lingers in your mouth even if you have a spicy meal after a dram! My God, worse spend money on whisky EVER, i hope that this kind of dissapointment never happens again.
Really surprised by the rather extreme variations in scores. They must be doing something right. IMHO, very sweet up front with little cereal to be seen. With the aroma of sicilian orange zest having (briefly!) shared the air with a freshly shaved white truffle, black pepper from...let's say, Moldovian pepper and tanned hide of Angus. A pretty good whisky, and the best I've seen in the price range.
I thought I had a bad bottle; Nope, others gave the same malt with drain cleaner finish. Guess someone likes it.
Absolutely excellent - I will never understand the 1 star reviews, they make no sense.
