WhiskeyMike901
Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt
Blended Malt — Speyside, Scotland
Reviewed
January 9, 2019 (edited October 22, 2019)
To start I'll admit I am mostly an American whiskey and bourbon enthusiast, and so my opinion on my first bottle of scotch will be colored through my lenses and learnings from the bourbon world. Having heard pretty good things about this blended malt scotch for the price, I figured it would be as good a place to start as any. My bottle says Batch 27 if that carries any significance.
Enjoyed neat in a Glencairn, no added water. Immediately on the nose I can tell I've stepped outside my lane and we're not in Kansas (or Kentucky as it were) anymore! The scent is elegant and soft, with lightly sweet orange jam over toast, lightly drizzled with honey. There is a light vanilla in the backend with subtle spice of maybe nutmeg and the faint scent of wood. At times the orange is replaced with lemon I think, or even baked apple pie filling with crust. Whatever the case there's a good bit of complex fruitiness happening here, not bad.
On to the taste, it starts sweet and deliciously creamy. Flavors of malty toast or bread tend to dominate for me. Still get that complex citrus fruitiness that could tend towards several varieties, but mostly orangish. Some pleasant spiciness hits mid palate with just a bit of a tingle prickling the tongue. Later just a bit of toasted sugar and barrel comes in. All in all, pretty nice!
Finish is short to mid length and offers bits of honey, orange mixed with apricot, a little barrel influence, and a little smoky char somewhere in the distance. I like it!
Overall, I really like it, has no offensive qualities for sure, rather light and delicate, yet still carries its own richness of flavor in comparison to the big burly sometimes fire breathing bourbons I tend to sip. It is an interesting change of pace and I can see myself having another pour at some point, but I think it underscores my personal preference for American bourbons. I think of it maybe as a bit of Coke versus Pepsi. Some people prefer all of one and none of the other or all of one and occasionally the other, and I feel like I might be in the latter group at this point. Anyhow, MS is an excellent Scotch blend at a very reasonable price point. Cheers!
30.0
USD
per
Bottle
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@WhiskyWitch haha, I hear you and the Ardbeg is on my list down the road. And I wouldn't ever say Scotch is inferior, especially since they've been crafting it many centuries before bourbons ever became a thing here. Cheers!
Ardbeg 10 is what finally shut up my bourbon-drinking stepfather about scotch being inferior.
@LeeEvolved. Lee thanks for your great insight and I like your line of thinking! It may take me a while to really dig into the world of fine scotch but your suggestions make good sense to me. I will fully consider them. Thanks again for the wisdom! Cheers!
If you’re looking to move into scotch I think I’d offer a different approach. Instead of the mid-level blends, I would skip those and go towards bottles of single malts that feel more like an extension of American bourbon: big, bold power and flavor. As a bourbon fan, you don’t need to be babied like a newbie into whisky- you need to see what the heavy hitters of the scotch world can offer up versus big bourbon. Aberlour A’Bunadh, Glenlivet Nadurra First Fill, GlenDronach Cask Strength or the Tomatin Cu Bocan. These are bourbon-esque and powerful with little to no smoke influence. Then, once you’re hooked lol, you can get after the salty and smoky stuff. Peated whisky is like rye whiskey to me- you have to plow through a few to determine if they’re your cup of tea. I still have a hard time getting into ryes. I’ve had some good ones, too. Still tough. Good luck bridging the gap. It’s fun and delicious over here on the other side of the whisk(e)y pond haha.
@Scott_E. Mmmm, sounds good in the finishing. I'll have a list a mile long before you know it haha! Appreciate it! Cheers!
@WhiskeyMike901 For easing your way into single malts, I suggest Balvenie 12. Aged in former bourbon barrels and finished in Spanish oak sherried casks.
@BDanner I might be eventually headed your way, you're just a few miles ahead in the journey. :) You guys are great, a wealth of information and so helpful. Thank you all and cheers!
@WhiskeyMike901 Much like you, I was strictly a bourbon guy who decided to dip a toe into the scotch pond a couple years ago. Monkey Shoulder was one of my first and favorite blends. About a year ago I decided to take the plunge into single malts with a bottle of Laphroaig 10. That was a great experience. I followed that with Ardbeg 10, Highland Park, and Lagavulin (I described that one as Whisky Nirvana). I'm also preparing a review for my first non-peated Single Malt, Bruichladdich. While I still consider myself a bourbon guy first, and a Scotch Noobie, these scotches have been amazing. Enjoy the journey.
@WhiskeyMike901 Great review! May I recommend Glenfarclas 105 to you? Given your stated preference for bourbon it might be more in your wheelhouse - the character is different to bourbon, of course, but it's a very robust and full-flavoured high(ish) proof whisky, and a fine example of good sherry cask maturation.
@cascode. Thank you sir! I will definitely add it to the list! Cheers!
@Generously_Paul. Thanks for the bit of color on the batch information. I'll check out your recommendation as well! Appreciate it gentleman on the advice!
I agree with @PBMichiganWolverine on the Ardbeg 10, but would also add Talisker 10. Also, batch 27 refers to the recipe rather than an actual batch number. All of them are Batch 27
@WhiskeyMike901 I'm on a similar journey. Bon voyage!
@1901 Thank you sir! In all honesty, I don't have a lot of experience with Irish whiskey. About the only bottle in my collection or that I've ever tried is the rather ubiquitous Jameson, and I'm fairly sure it doesn't count as a "good or great" example of the region. Just starting to dip a toe into the scotch pond, and I'm sure some fine Irish may get mixed in there too down the road. I've got a long way to travel in my whiskey journey and I'm just getting started! :). Cheers!
Another fine review @WhiskeyMike901. As a bourbon noob I'm on the opposite side of the spectrum. Not to get too parochial but I'm interested (as an Irishman) to hear what your experience/opinion is on Irish whiskey?
@PBMichiganWolverine. Thanks for the recs! I have Ardbeg 10 on a list to try way down the road so it's on my radar. Hadn't heard about the other so I'll give it a look too! Cheers!
Just for kicks, if you like big and burly, try Ardbeg 10 or a Lagavulin 16. Fair warning: they’re not sweet...but rather smoky and punch-you-on-the-nose peaty