The first distillery to blend three malts, Monkey Shoulder is made from a trio of fine Speyside single malts—Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie. Once selected, the malts are left to mature in bourbon casks for a length of time only the "malt master" knows. This process lends the whiskey subtle, but distinct smokey notes of oak that compliment the spirit's naturally sweet vanilla and brown sugar flavours. Each batch contains just 27 individually taste-tested casks to keep quality consistently up to grade.
Red fruits, spice and slightly gamey, smokey flavour. Tannins add a bit of structure but still soft. Finish is tart red fruit. Lots of flavour but won't overwhelm most meals. Great with aged cheeses.