rawalker
Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt
Blended Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed
May 8, 2021 (edited June 13, 2021)
I've heard good things about this so I decided to pick up a bottle. Currently my gold standard for blended whisky is Naked Grouse, which I think is fantastic.
Nose: For me, pears are on the forefront here. There are some notes of peaches and vanilla here as well as some cinnamon and nutmeg in the background.
Palate: More pear notes leading the way here. Some spice enters with cinnamon and pepper presenting themselves. Green apple lingers in the background.
Finish: Medium to long. The pepper and cinnamon sticks around with some lingering tingling on the sides of the tongue. There is some burn here on the finish that takes away a little bit from the overall experience.
Overall this is pretty good. I do not currently have a bottle of Naked Grouse to do a head to head but based on my memory Naked Grouse has a slight edge. Also, Naked Grouse is $9 CAD cheaper. For the price point I think I would stick with Naked Grouse.
52.99
CAD
per
Bottle
Abbotsford
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Yeah I think I would lean to NG as well, must be the Mac influence
@Ctrexman - So I grabbed a bottle of Naked Grouse and did a head to head blind tasting the other night. My preference is Naked Grouse. I found it has a fuller, richer flavour with more dark fruits whereas Monkey Shoulder is lighter and heavier on the orchard fruits, especially pear for me. I reviewed my previous individual tastings and my comments were pretty much the same, which to me validates the tasting. Both are very good but I'll continue to go with Naked Grouse, especially given that it is $9 CAD cheaper ($43.99 vs $52.99).
Deanston Virgin oak is in this range and very good as well
@Ctrexman - I agree and it's definitely on my to-do list! I did have a small taste of Dewar's 12 next to this and Monkey Shoulder is the clear winner in my opinion.
Would have to put MS and NG head to head to pick winner its close