Review #5 – Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Whisky

Review #5 – Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Whisky

Review #: 5
Description: Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Whisky
Spirit: Scotch

Background: A popular, blended and cheap offering in the world of scotch. A blend of malts from Balvenie, Glenfiddich, and Kinivie, there doesn’t seem to be much more information on it other than the malts come from first fill ex-bourbon barrels.

Distillery – Balvenie/Glenfiddich/Kininvie

Bottler – William Grant & Sons

Brand – Monkey Shoulder

Selection – N/A

ABV – 40%

Age – NAS

Nose – Rich caramel, faint acetone, clean smoke, black pepper
Taste – Vanilla, light cherry into oak.  Inoffensive and sweet, but lacks complexity
Finish – Oak and smoke, bitter, lingering black pepper

Score: 4
Would I buy a bottle? It’s decent for someone just getting into whisky/scotch and get ok flavor for cheap

Thoughts: My first scotch review and I should preface that coming into this set, I knew very little about the world of Scottish Whisky. I was the person who believed that peat was essential to its character and I think the only ones I tried before this was Johnnie Walker Red and standard Dewars. This was definitely better, and I really enjoyed the nose on this bottle while having limited experience. Even looking back, it’s light, sweet, inoffensive, and pretty well balanced for what it is. Not bad for a beginner bottle.

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