The latest whiskey label on the block, Monkey Shoulder, is a free-spirited, fun-loving triple malt with an easy going smooth, rich and mellow vanilla deliciousness and can be enjoyed neat, on the rocks, mixed or in cocktails. Yes, scotch snobs say that you shouldn’t drink whisky with ice or mix it in cocktails, but there are no old-fashioned rules when it comes to drinking Monkey Shoulder. That’s why bartenders love Monkey Shoulder – it is a social scotch that loves to mingle and won’t be left gathering dust on the top shelf of a bar like traditional malts that can only be served by the dram.

A combination of three single malt Scotch whiskies is matured in oak casts that previously held bourbon – that is the key identifier for Monkey Shoulder. Launched by the renowned distillers William Grant & Sons, there is an interesting story to how the whisky got its name.  Years ago, distillery workers would

shovel tonnes of malting barley by hand, hour after hour. This hard work sometimes caused a sore shoulder and their arms would stiffly hang down, a bit like a chimpanzee. The men called this temporary affliction ‘monkey shoulder’ and the scotch is named in their honour.

Monkey Shoulder triple malt Scotch whisky is distilled, matured and bottled in Dufftown, Speyside, the heart of Scotch whisky-making land. Production is overseen by Brian Kinsman, known in the industry by the more formal title of Malt Master.