Monkey Shoulder - Still my go to 'Every day' Whiskey...

[HannsG]

I have yet to find something as smooth, creamy and balanced. For the price....

Just terrific and costs around £25-30 for a bottle in a cage. Not over powering or overtly aromatic in the slightest.

Yes I do reach for the blue label when I feel like it. But only for the special occasions.

Such a superb blend. Even if it cost £50 it would be on the list..

[Miocene]

Only had it once... can't remember much of the night after that, so it can't have been bad!

[Douglas Quaid]

It’s st

[C0ffin D0dger]

If you're drinking whisky every day you probably need to seek help: https://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org.uk/

I've largely cut out my whisky drinking as it's the alcohol equivalent of crack to me and now thanks to two kids I don't have the pleasure of sleeping it off the next day but on the occasions that I do then I'd generally be seeking a smoky Islay malt.

Oh and by the way it's whisky not whiskey the latter coming from Ireland e.g. Jamesons.

[FerdiZ28]

I do like a bit of Monkey Shoulder. I find it mixes well with my everyday (not literally) cigars, a Monte 5 or a R&J Short Churchill. Basic taste but with one lump of ice it is my go to dram.

I fill my decanter in the drinks cabinet with Red Label and its what is distributed if someone says "I'll have a whisky" or "Whisky and coke" without demonstrating preference to the more niche/expensive ones in the cabinet. If Red Label is low I have been known to fill said decanter with MS - especially if it has been on offer in Waitrose/Tescos and I've bought two.

I'd reccomend Woodford Reserve also (also a mainstay of the supermarkets) if you like MS.

[sgrimshaw]

Until recently our "house Whisky" was Grants Family Reserve.

It's still good and will remain the one for "mixers", but for drinking neat/dash of water, we find Haig Clubman has the edge.

For the price I reckon it's tough to beat if you prefer a lighter whisky.

Always on the shelf is also a bottle of Haig Club ... even nicer, but 3x the price

[twinturboz]

Op have you given Balvenie double wood a go? I prefer that personally over Monkey if looking for something in the similar price range.

Forgotten what the third blend in Monkey shoulder was ... Balvenie, Glenfiddich and ?

[mcflurry]

For the £25-£30 bracket, there's Aberlour, Aberfeldy, Auchentoshan or Highland Park - why drink a blended Scotch ?

[R8Steve]

twinturboz said:

Op have you given Balvenie double wood a go? I prefer that personally over Monkey if looking for something in the similar price range.

Forgotten what the third blend in Monkey shoulder was ... Balvenie, Glenfiddich and ?

Kininvie.

It's made by William Grant so it is blended from their three distilleries.

I really like it, one of my favourites at the moment.

[FerdiZ28]

mcflurry said:

For the £25-£30 bracket, there's Aberlour, Aberfeldy, Auchentoshan or Highland Park - why drink a blended Scotch ?

Personally it has never bothered me to the extent of excluding a blended over a single if I like the taste. As an example I haven't got on at all with the Auchentoshan I bought about a year ago, preferring many blended scotches over it. Generally from experience singles taste better and have the ability to be unique between them, however.

I peddle my Auchentoshan as a "posh" one I'm prepared to give away and put it in front of the Macallans and experimentatl series Glenfiddichs etc

[vixen1700]

Everyday whiskys for me are most Arbelours, Ledaig 10, AnCnoc 12 (very nice btw) and Bowmore 10.

Try to have a bottle of those in the cabinet to keep it varied.

Getting to the stage where most bottles in the cabinet aren't yet opened as they're not everyday drinkers, with a couple of nice 18 year olds arriving soon.

[ZedLeg]

I'm a big fan of Old Pulteney, it's pretty much the only Scotch I regularly drink. I'm much more of a bourbon fan

[tannhauser]

twinturboz said:

Op have you given Balvenie double wood a go? I prefer that personally over Monkey if looking for something in the similar price range.

Forgotten what the third blend in Monkey shoulder was ... Balvenie, Glenfiddich and ?

Love Balvennie DW but it's more like £38 compared to MS which can be had for £23!

[Mobile Chicane]

VAT 69 for me. As taken by Shackleton to the Antarctic for 'medicinal and celebratory occasions'.

It has the peaty smoky characteristics I like of the Islays, but in a lighter (and cheaper) form. Can be winkled out online for £20 a bottle.

[Frenchda]

mcflurry said:

For the £25-£30 bracket, there's Aberlour, Aberfeldy, Auchentoshan or Highland Park - why drink a blended Scotch ?

Because it is great!

I was a complete snob a while ago until my wife bought me a bottle, love the stuff (I have an extensive collection of decent malts).

Young scotch's and decent blends are now among my favourites.

[vixen1700]

https://www.masterofmalt.com/whiskies/nikka-all-ma...

Must admit, this is a blended whisky that is very, very nice.

[rdjohn]

Douglas Quaid said:

It’s st

It’s a Whiskey for people who do not like Whiskey. All it lacks is a little added sugar to attract the millennial generation.

[FerdiZ28]

rdjohn said:

It’s a Whiskey for people who do not like Whiskey. All it lacks is a little added sugar to attract the millennial generation.

For those knowing nothing about whisky like yourself, where does one go?

[jesusbuiltmycar]

Can't say I have drunk much Monkey Shoulder - only really had it when out...

For cheaper whiskies I either buy:

• Chivas Regal 12 - blended - about £20 from amazon
• Aldi Glen Marnoch Speyside - Single Malt - £17.49 and has won awards in a blind taste test
• Cardhu Gold Reserve - Single Malt - often £25 on offer from Asda/Tesco/Amazon
• Ardmore Legacy - Single Malt (with a hint of peat) - £19ish from Amazon
• Talisker Skye - Single Malt - often £25 on offer from Asda/Tesco/Amazon
• Old Pulteney - Single Malt - often £25 on offer from Asda/Tesco/Amazon

The absolute bargain by far is the Aldi Speyside - at £17.49 a bottle it is a great dram.

Edited by jesusbuiltmycar on Tuesday 20th March 20:23

[Vipers]

A couple of years ago, my son ordered me a bottle of Monkey Shoulder for Father's Day from Amazon.

Would you Adam and Eve it, Amazon only screwed it up, instead of sending me a bottle of monkey shoulder, they sent me a BOX.

I tried to return it honest

Gave one to my son, one to my pal at work, one for my brother in law and enjoyed the remainder three.

So mellow.