![]() Launched in 2005, the malt whiskey came into the market when people were beginning to appreciate Scotch whiskeys taste. The trio is mixed together in small 27-barrel batches for three to six months before bottling at 40% abv. The Monkey Shoulder Scotch Whisky is a craftsmanship of three unique single-malt whiskies from the three different Speyside distilleries. ![]() Several years later, Balvenie also opened up on the same site, and Kininvie distillery opened shop about a century later in 1990. William Grant had put all his life savings behind the project. The history of the Monkey Shoulder begins with the construction of the Glenfiddich distillery in 1886. ![]() It is for this reason that the whiskey was nicknamed "monkey shoulder." Although working conditions are now much better, the name stuck as a homage to the whiskeys heritage. The shoulder strain would make them hang down their shoulders like a monkey. The long shifts of manual labor took a toll on Scotland's malt men, making them susceptible to shoulder injuries. Definitely worth a taste, perhaps not the purchase of a bottle.In the past, Scotland's distilleries employed malt men whose job was to hand-turn malted barley with a wooden shovel. Short and dry finish, with the mineral and vegetal notes driving the evocations of nuts, spices and a slight salty accent.įor the purpose for which it is made, all in all it’s quite drinkable, and it’s certainly more enjoyable than other cheap blends on the market, which might justify its price. The texture is light as expected, but not evanescent. The mineral/vegetal vein also grows, with malt, vanilla and honey relegated to the background. The same evocations can be found on the palate, although with less vigour, with nuts and spices (to which black pepper and ginger are added) tending to take over, leaving the fruit in the background, expressed more in the citrus notes. ![]() Nuts (almonds, walnuts), honey and nutmeg form the backdrop, all traversed by a bright malt note, tending towards yeasty bread. On the nose, the speysider nature is clearly evident, with flowers and fruit emerging from the glass in a fruit salad of peach, apricot, apple, pear, heather, hyacinth and a drop of grapefruit. There is also a peated version, which will pass through these pages sooner or later. The vocation is mixology, so it’s not a product designed for straight drinking, but it’s still interesting to know what goes into a cocktail. ![]() The name is inspired by the hunchbacking to which the malting workers were subjected, who had to constantly bend their backs to turn the barley on the floor.ĭon’t be mislead by the wording on the label ‘batch 27’, as it doesn’t indicate the increasing batch numbering but refers to the use of twenty-seven casks to create the blended in its initial recipe. Every now and then it’s pleasant (as well as educational) to take a break from more or less important bottlings to sample ‘mass’ products, returning to the roots of this blog whose intent has always been to offer a sort of library dedicated to all whiskies, from the most emblazoned to the most common.Īpproaching a blended malt (therefore made from single malts only) born in 2003 on behalf of William Grant & Sons, created by Brian Kinsman initially with whiskies from Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Kininvie, while today it’s declared as a generic vatting of Speyside scotch, in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks. ![]()
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