"This
is blended malt Scotch, a mix of the well-known Balvenie and
Glenfiddich, and the relatively unknown Kininvie, to be exact.
Batch 27 is a reference to the number of casks they mix for each
vatting. The whole operation is overseen by William Grant & Sons’
David Stewart, the man who pioneered two-cask maturation of single malts
in the 1980’s working on new ideas for Balvenie." (from the internet)
MY TAKE
all the sites I’ve
checked so far kept saying 40% and my bottle kept saying 43 % (and so
did my tongue) – after about ten years of finding single malt to be an
intriguing hobby and that I have yet to find a ‘bad’ single malt, I
finally tumbled to blended malt (Monkey Shoulder at an affordable price
did the trick) and am well pleased – I often wonder where wine and
whisky tasters come up with the descriptions of the tasting experience
but I liked your (web site reviewing Monkey Shoulder)” but after spending some time with it the Balvenie
really comes out and it becomes charming” and I figure no-shit that’s a
real description – here’s my go at it as a duffer:
“Beautiful colour,
attractive bottle with the three monkeys appealing to the eye rather
than the detraction that Dalmore’s deer head has turned into, enough
alcohol to add a burr to your tongue without dulling the senses, and a
flavour that builds with every setting. I have read the negative
reviews of a few and wonder if they are just boring snobs or if the
world really does contain such people that cannot enjoy such a fine
tipple. A slight oily composition (maybe more figuratively than
literally) that glides across my tongue carrying secrets to be sought
like the allure of that attractive face across the bar – nice smooth
malt and to digress into the mundane a slight hint of chocolate – if
you’re used to Lagavulan and laphroaig the lack of deep smoke and peat
will be a small burden but the flavour as I said before is there
building a home in your mind. At least an 85”
Michael Jackson (Dominic Roskrow writing)
William Grant and sons 40 vol (my bottle is 43)
Colour Honey Gold
Nose Apples, Fresh and zesty. Grapefruit. Young
Body Light, soft and rounded
Palate Green apples, Citrus fruit, Refreshing ,with clean barley.
Very rouded and balanced.
Finish Medium and fruity with some late fruit
Score 88
Score 88
The name 'Monkey Shoulder' had put me off - then I found out that it was a term applied to a condition that old time labour intensive production had caused in the men turning the malted barley as it was aged in the warehouse and suddenly the name became closely bound to the idea of Scotch Whisky
