Monkey Shoulder whiskies

History

William Grant & Sons created Monkey Shoulder to show that malt whisky could be fun and versatile, and not just a product to sip neat in silence. At first the blend was made with malts from three of the family’s distilleries in Dufftown. Its image, with three metal monkeys on the bottle’s shoulder, pays tribute to the maltings workers, who spent hours turning the barley with shovels and ended up with sore shoulders. From the start the brand relied on bartenders around the world, and its success boosted the blended malt category.

House style

Monkey Shoulder’s style is smooth, sweet and rounded: vanilla, honey, orange, biscuit, gentle spice and a touch of oak. The Speyside malts, matured mainly in bourbon casks, give it a honeyed, easy character. It uses no peat. It is a whisky with more body than many blends but very friendly, and it works both neat and in cocktails.

Where to start

Monkey Shoulder is the catalogue’s entry and a great gateway to blended malts. You’ll like it if you’re after a smooth, sweet whisky to drink neat, on the rocks or in cocktails such as the Old Fashioned or the whisky sour. If you like it, try the Glenfiddich or Balvenie malts, from the same house, to discover its roots.

• Monkey ShoulderBlended malt · 40% ABV