Rated “Excellent, highly recommended”92 points at the Ultimate Spirits Challenge, Gold medal winner at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition and a “Best Buy” from Wine Enthusiast. LABEL 5 Classic Black has a vibrant gold color.
The nose has delicate notes of fruits laced with freshly baked shortbread.
On the palate, a delightfully balanced blend with flavors of fruit and vanilla followed by smoke.
The finish is long and smooth with a hint of wood smoke. Speyside malts are the backbone to this blend.
Monkey Shoulder casks are former bourbon casks, which add smooth vanilla flavors to this Scotch. It also has no grain whisky whatsoever anywhere in or even near the drink. It’s barley all the way, folks. The name Monkey Shoulder might sound funny, but it has a history in whisky making. The maltmen who used to turn the barley would take long shifts, using their dominant arm significantly while working. At the end, their shoulders would droop on one side, an ailment that became known as “Monkey Shoulder.” Today, nobody working at Monkey Shoulder actually has the affliction, though the barley still gets turned by hand. Working conditions are much better than they used to be. The name sounds cool and harkens back to the old whisky making days. Monkey Shoulder tastes delicious neat, with a splash of water, and on the rocks. It stands out in mixed drinks, too, given its orange and vanilla flavors with a bit of spice.
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