Monkey Shoulder

Happy Whiskey Wednesday, fellow primate descendants. 

Tonight I'm bringing to you something I've been prayin on for a long time to arrive in Utah stores, and just a month ago it did; since, I've gone through two bottles and still looking to get more. 

Monkey Shoulder is the Blended Malt Scotch of topic tonight, sporting a lovely three-monkey medallion - a tip to the three Speyside distilleries it's sourced from - towards the top of the glass and a creamy label that compliments the look of the whisky itself quite well. Oddly, this color choice almost matches exactly what Monkey Shoulder tastes like, so let's talk about that.

Nose - Monkey Shoulder harbors and interesting blend of rich toffee, buttery banana cream, and an unexpectedly sharp point of brine. It's very rich, creamy, and smooth all around.

Taste - Incredibly well rounded, the blended malt comes at you with soft, friendly tones of caramel and honey, with a buttery, flakey, almost fine-pastry-esque sensation that reminds you of freshly baked strudel; the nice kind.

Finish - maybe what you could call the "weakest end" of the Monkey is it's own end, with a finish that fades quickly, leaving a buttery oak sensation and not too much anything else; a very forgiving, friendly vesche that would be welcoming even to the most novice of drinkers.

All in all, this is a Scotch that could be a great door-opener for those more accustomed to the simple sweetness of American bred bourbons that are looking to procure their palette to a more challenging and complex taste arrangement. A bit of trivia on the name, "monkey shoulder" was an ailment that was a common occurrence in Scottish distilleries before the advent of labor laws and mechanized processes. You see, back in the day the ol' workers had to shovel the malting barely all day to keep it from clumping in the vats during the fermentation process, leading to a disfiguring muscle structure where one shoulder would be humped over more than the other, like a member of our more primitive cousins. 

Monkey Shoulder is a great budget pick, and in a "Trial Distribution" right now in Utah, coming in at only ~$35 a bottle, you're looking at a damn fine scotch for a great price.