A unique blend of three of Speyside’s finest Single Malts, Monkey Shoulder is matured in first fill Bourbon casks hand selected by iconic Malt Master Brian Kinsman. Released in the UK in 2006, Monkey Shoulder already has a history of accolades and awards including a Gold award at the 2011 International Wine & Spirit Competition, a Master distinction in the Speyside Blended Malt category at the 2011 Scotch Whisky Masters and a Gold award in the 2011 International Spirits Challenge. Of course there are a lot of gold medals for whiskeys these days but the Monkey Shoulder lives up to the hype, especially for its price. Available for about $35-40, the Monkey Shoulder blend includes Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Kininvie single malts.
The Monkey Shoulder Tasting Notes:
Thick for a blend and light gold in color with a slightly red tint, Monkey Shoulder has a sweet scent of honey and syrup. With a sweet flavor, this is a solid blended scotch whiskey in whish the slightly spicy flavor and finish provide a very proficient complexity. The triple malted blend works very well and for the price, the Monkey Shoulder Blended Scotch Whisky is a straight up stud!
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONKEYSHOULDER WHISKY ARRIVES IN AMERICA!
“Most Coveted Spirit” Makes Long-Awaited Stateside Debut
NEW YORK –IWSC Distiller of the Year William Grant & Sons announces the arrival of the ground-breaking blended malt Scotch whisky, Monkey Shoulder, on American shores! Often referred to as one of the “most coveted” spirits in the U.S. due to its popularity among the bartending community and whisky connoisseurs, Monkey Shoulder has just landed exclusively in Illinois!
An irreverent nod to the traditional distillery malt-men who painstakingly turn malt barley by hand and wooden schiel, the “MonkeyShoulder” moniker refers to the colloquial term of a once common temporary injury, when after a long day’s work, a maltman would feel as though he had a monkey on his shoulder. While the injury is fortunately a thing of the past, the dedication to quality and craftsmanship involved in the hand turning of barley lives on in the Monkey Shoulder distillation process and the name today.
Since first appearing in bars across the United Kingdom in 2006, Monkey Shoulder has redefined whisky drinking for a new generation of Scotch whisky drinkers looking for an upgrade. What sets Monkey Shoulder apart from other whiskies is its unique combination of provenance and personality. By marrying five generations of award-winning distilling experience with a uniquely cheeky contemporary style and commitment to innovation within the Scotch category, Monkey Shoulder represents the ideal pairing of style and substance. A unique blend of three of Speyside’s finest Single Malts, Monkey Shoulder is matured in first fill Bourbon casks hand selected by iconic Malt Master Brian Kinsman, to ensure its signature smooth flavor.
“Monkey Shoulder is a new style of Scotch whisky – one rooted in heritage and tradition but firmly grounded in the contemporary world. Connoisseurs appreciate that Monkey Shoulder is a new style of Speyside whisky from a known world class distiller, while whisky newcomers are drawn to the mixability of the quality liquid and the irreverent and cheeky personality Monkey Shoulder presents to the category,” said Cindy Wang, Senior Brand Manager, Monkey Shoulder.
Under the scrutiny of William Grant & Sons award-winning distillers in Dufftown, Scotland, Monkey Shoulder is crafted in small batches of only 27 cases and offers a beautifully sweet and rich vanilla flavor, with brown sugar and creamy toffee notes balanced with oak and just a hint of spice. Monkey Shoulder already has a history of accolades and awards including a Gold award at the 2011 International Wine & Spirit Competition, a Master distinction in the Speyside Blended Malt category at the 2011 Scotch Whisky Masters and a Gold award in the 2011 International Spirits Challenge.
“Having caught the eye of the world’s leading bartenders, it’s high time my talented and influential friends in the U.S. have the opportunity to obtain and appreciate a bottle of Monkey Shoulder without a trip to London,” said Dean Callan, global brand ambassador, Monkey Shoulder.
Monkey Shoulder will be available in the Chicagoland area starting January 6th in top bars and select liquor stores and will be rolling out in Texas later in 2012. Those fortunate enough to discover Monkey Shoulder will be able to enjoy it neat, on the rocks or in a range of innovative cocktails.
Tweeddale blend was first distilled in 1820 in Coldstream Scotland, just a few minutes from the border of England. Having been shut down during WWII, the Tweeddale Blend was reborn in 2009. The first batch was produced in 2010 and we were lucky enough to get a taste of Batch 2, bottled in June of 2011. Batch two is made up of single grain whisky aged for more than 15 years sherry cask. Seven of the eight single malts are from the same casks as batch 1 but a year older, from 12 years old to 21 years old. A blend of aged single grain whisky and eight individually selected aged single malt whiskies with a high malt content (50% grain, 50% malt), the Tweeddale blend is non chill filtered in keeping with the tradition of the original blend. Bottled at about 46% ABV, the 12 years aged Tweedale Batch 2 is a solid scotch whisky. With a thick gold color, the Tweeddale 12 Year is very smooth with a syrupy, fruity flavor with an oak and wood mouth feel. Sweet, smooth and warm this full bodied and balanced blend with a solid, light and refreshing smokiness. This is a solid scotch whisky and we definitely recommend it.
Tasting Notes from Tweeddale:
Batch Two (First bottled June 2011, available now)
Nose -mellow, sherry, toffee.
Palate -rich, full yet delicately flavoured
Finish -rounded, with hints of spice.
Just as every batch was slightly different when my Great Grandfather produced it over 70 years ago, my 2nd batch of The Tweeddale Blend is 12 year old.
The Wemyss (Pronounced Weems) family of Scotland has been distilling and winemaking since the turn of the 19th century, and barley from the Wemyss estate is actually used in multiple distilleries throughout Scotland. The Wemyss experience in blending whisky actually came from winemaking. As all wine is blended, the Wemyss family brought that experience to making their exceptional whisky. “Up to sixteen different single malt whiskies are expertly blended together before introducing the “signature” malts to create three distinct taste profiles: ‘Spicy’ (Spice King), ‘Peaty’ (Peat Chimney) and ‘Smooth’ (Smooth Gentleman).” For the Spice King 8 Years aged, the signature malt is from the Highlands, in order to produce a whisky with rich, full and spicy top notes. All of the blends are bottled at 40% and the range has five, eight and twelve year’s age.
The Spice King 8 Years Old Tasting Notes:
With a solid scent of peat the Spice King is bit thin, with a medium peat flavor. Slightly sweet with a good spiciness this is a very good whisky. Smooth and a bit complex the Wemyss Spice Kings 8 Year is perhaps a thicker, more complex and better Johnnie Walker Black and available for about $40 to $45. We definitely recommend the Wemyss Spice King 8 Years aged and it’s much better than some pricier single malts on the shelf.
Because of the price tag, about $250, very few get a chance to taste the Johnnie Walker Blue Label Blended Scotch Whisky. But when confronted with the opportunity, it’s an absolute must! The Johnnie Walker Blue Label is hand crafted in single barrel batches and is a blend of 9 whiskies. The Johnnie Walker Master Blender hand selects the premium whiskies used for the blend, and draws from the largest whisky reserves in the world, dating back 200 years.
Johnnie Walker Blue Label Tasting Notes:
The scent is a medium to solid scent of peat smoke. The whisky is very light and smooth with flavors of grain. Having a peat mouth feel with notes of sweet honey, this is a complex and excellent whiskey. The mouth feel was also thick and creamy, and we consider it to be incomparable. The Blue Label is perhaps the best mouth feel of any whisky in the world. A flat out stud! The Johnnie Walker Blue Label is simply one of the best whisky’s you will ever try.
From Johnnie Walker!
Johnnie Walker Blue Label is the epitome of blending. Created to reflect the style of whiskies in the early 19th century, it’s created using some of our rarest casks from the Johnnie Walker stocks, the largest in the world.
The casks are hand-selected and set aside for their exceptional quality, character and flavor. The character of Blue Label is truly unique; it is complex, powerful, incredibly smooth and retains the Johnnie Walker signature smokiness.
King George V from Blue Label was created to celebrate the Royal Warrant given to the Walker family in 1934 to mark their exceptional quality. This blend includes Port Ellen™, a highly prized malt whose distillery no longer exists.
The John Walker is the most recent addition, created as a tribute to our founder. Hand-crafted in single barrel batches of only 330 bottles, it’s an exceptionally rare blend of 9 whiskies, including those from Glen Albyn™ and Cambus™ distilleries. It’s presented in a unique, individually numbered Baccarat crystal decanter – hand blown, polished and engraved by one of only three Master Craftsmen in the world.
The Prince of Whiskies is a Smooth Beautiful Blend
By Matt Goldstein & Amy K. Haight
With more than two centuries’ of history, Chivas Regal 12 year old is an expression of a unique tradition that has continued unbroken since the Chivas Brothers first introduced the world to the rich, smooth Scotch whisky of Chivas Regal. “For more than 500 years, Scotland has been perfecting the art of producing Scotch whisky. Chivas Regal is made from pure, natural, Scottish ingredients. For more than 500 years, Scotland has distilled their original whisky – malt Scotch whisky. Malt Scotch whisky is made from only three natural ingredients – quality malted barley, natural spring water and yeast. A blended Scotch whisky must contain both malt Scotch whisky and grain Scotch whisky. The art of blending is to harmonize the characters and flavours of selected malt and grain Scotch whiskies to produce a blended Scotch whisky of the highest possible quality. This requires the master blender to possess an expert ‘nose’ and many years’ experience of Scotch whisky.
Chivas Regal 12 year is one of the Blended Scotch Whiskies where it’s clear that the master blender skillfully blended the whiskies together for an excellent scotch. The scent is complex and the whisky has a beautiful amber color. A thin Scotch whisky, the Chivas Regal 12 year blended scotch whisky has notes of caramel, toffee, chocolate, vanilla with a smooth, sweet and great flavor. We love this scotch and will drink it again and again. Greatly recommended.
A Black Label Blended Scotch Whisky Barreled in Deep Charred Oak Cask
By Joon Lee, Amy K. Haight and Matt Goldstein
Johnnie Walker distilleries took their classic Johnnie Walker Black Blended Scotch whisky and re-blended the whisky recipe to create Johnnie Walker Double Black. “After hand-selecting a number of whiskies defined by hints of smoldering charcoal, crisp ash and burnt timber, we barreled our blend to mature in deep-charred old oak casks.” Double Black is very smooth with a good peat and smoke balance. Johnnie Walker Double Black is complex, crisp, lighter and sweeter than regular black with slightly less peat. This is a solid Scotch and we will be drinking it again without question.
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From Johnnie Walker
Taking cues from the unparalleled flavors of Johnnie Walker Black Label, Master Blender Jim Beveridge struck out to craft a blend that would take the intensity of Black to unexplored territory. He started on Scotland’s vast shores, rediscovering the powerful west coast and subtle east coast scotches integral to today’s world-renowned Black Label.
After hand-selecting a number of whiskies defined by hints of smoldering charcoal, crisp ash and burnt timber, we barreled our blend to mature in deep-charred old oak casks. The result is an unquestionably smokier, more intense experience, but with deep, dark roots in a rich blend that changed the world: Johnnie Walker Black Label. Simply put, it is Black, amplified.
Blended to break the rules, Double Black boasts an edgy confidence in flavor that separates it from its balanced relative, Johnnie Walker Black Label. It is not simply a darker version of Black Label, for it cannot be defined by color alone. Nevertheless, the two blends are intrinsically linked. As any discriminating drinker can see, they share DNA – in their smoky nose, unmistakable spice and slight tones of dried fruit.
But the similarities end there. Double Black is un-aged and different to Black Label in the way it’s been blended. With this newest blend, taste trumps all. And since its recent release, accolades have solidified Double Black’s place within the world’s most popular scotch portfolio.
While its finish will undoubtedly linger, Double Black itself will not. Its stunningly small run is characteristic of a blend best suited to the most ambitious and adventurous Johnnie Walker enthusiasts, eager to explore another side of Black.
Blended with Talisker and Cragganmore Single Malts
By Matt Goldstein
Johnnie Walker Green Label is a rich blend using only malts drawn from the four corners of Scotland. Each of the malts is specially selected by the Master Blender to create the perfect balance in the whisky. Each malt whisky is matured for a minimum of 15 years to deliver rich, full layers of flavor. Coupled with the blending mastery of Johnnie Walker, it ensures the characteristic smoothness and distinctive flavor of Green Label. Four signature malts provide the key taste influences for this 15-year-old whisky. This blended scotch whiskey is a stud!
Johnnie Walker Green Tasting Notes:
With a light smoky and malty scent, Johnny Walker Green has a smoky flavor yet smooth, light and complex. It’s a smoother sweeter better blended Johnnie Walker Black. This is a brilliant blended scotch whiskey we absolutely recommend it.
From Johnny Walker:
Four signature malts provide the key taste influences for this 15-year-old whisky. Talisker™ introduces power and depth of character, Caol Ila™ contributes mystery and intensity and, at its heart, Cragganmore™ provides a sweet maltiness, while Linkwood™ adds a final touch of finesse.
Blending exclusively with malts produces a rich, powerful whisky, with each one giving its own intense flavor and aromas to create a perfect combination.
With its rich gold amber appearance, this medium-full malt summons up a multiplicity of complex natural aromas. It starts on the seashore and drifts inland over moist moss and through evergreen forest. Then come the exotic notes of orange peel, stewed peaches, cooked black fruits and sour cherry.
John’s grandson, Alexander II, was a master of the art of blending. Learning his skills from his father and his grandfather, he was also an apprentice at Robertson & Baxter, an established distiller and wholesale wine and spirit merchant. While first-class training is important, natural talent and a Master Blender’s perceptive nose are crucial when creating a complex blend – like Alexander Walker, today’s specialists possess both.
Like a gourmet dish, a Blended Malt Whisky’s success depends on its individual ingredients. Alexander and George, the grandsons of the founder, realized the necessity of using quality products, and after a long search for a distillery producing whiskies of the stature required for their blends, purchased the Cardhu™ distillery, along with interests in several other prime sites.
This tradition has continued and Johnnie Walker now has the whiskies of 27 distilleries at its disposal, giving its blending team exactly the resources it requires to create the perfect balance of flavors for Green Label.
Today the House of Walker uses this unique range of distilleries to handpick four single malts to create Green Label.
Every once in a while, for a special occasion, it’s nice to break out the good stuff. This weekend just happened to be one of those occasions. As a groomsman in our dear friends’ Jimmy and Shana’s wedding, I thought it was a good idea to pick something nice for the guys for a little pre-wedding get together. We were considering both Jameson 18 year and Johnnie Walker Gold Label. Since my man Jimmy has been more of scotch man lately, the Gold Label was our choice. This was the perfect choice! Johnnie Walker 18 Year Gold Label Blended Scotch Whisky is an absolute masterpiece. There is no question about it. The bottle was basically gone less than an hour after we opened it, but it was worth every dollar. Special occasions demand special whiskies. Everybody seemed to want more and more, even the ladies. There is no need to put this whisky on ice; the Gold Label is more than perfect when served neat.
Johnnie Walker Gold Label is a rich blend of rare whiskies each aged for a minimum of 18 years. Buried in the Kildonan Hills in the Northern Highlands, the Clynelish Distillery draws its water from a unique source. Gold Deposits are released into the water from the local granite rock, hence, Johnnie Walker Gold Label.
The Johnnie Walker 18 Year Gold Label Tasting Notes:
Lightly smoky, grainy, thin but complex. Exceptionally smooth. Slightly sweet, with hints of malt, grain and oak. WE LOVE THIS WHISKEY!
Johnnie Walker Gold Label was blended to celebrate the first 100 years of the House of Walker in 1920. A well-kept secret, it’s only been available outside the company since the 1990s. It has a distinctly smooth, sweet and luxurious character, with a stylish elegance and refined quality. Gold Label is crafted using whiskies such as Clynelish for a honeyed flavor and creamy teure yet still retaining the signature Johnnie Walker smokiness.
With its rich gold color and old-gold glints, it reveals a full, round, deep nose. There are notes of soft raisins and toffee, fresh malt and light cream – Gold Label is as enticing as it is sensuous. Its palate is rich and broad with full malt flavors and honeyed spices with almonds and marzipan, which leads to a distinctive creaminess.
Cardhu provides strong yet smooth malt and oak flavors. Extra-mature grain whiskies deliver some of the lingering sweetness, while Clynelish™ from the northern Highlands is responsible for the unusual aromatic creaminess. The finish is multidimensional and satisfyingly long.
Johnnie Walker Black is the #1 Selling Premium Blended Scotch Whisky in the World!
By Matt Goldstein
Johnnie Walker Black Label dates back to 1790 but officially became the Black Label in 1909. One hundred years later, Johnnie Walker Black is the #1 selling premium blended scotch whiskey in the world. Although there is no whiskey inside the blend that is younger than 12 years, Johnnie Walker claims that each bottle is at least 20 years in the making, from the selection of the oak for cask aging to drawing from Scotch whiskies all over Scotland, drawing from West coast malts to East coast scotch.
Tasting Notes of Johnnie Walker Black: The scent is a light peat; the flavor is a smooth, medium to heavy peat. There is a full flavor malt aftertaste, slightly dry and thin with medium warmth. Johnny Walker Black is a classic and complex blended scotch whisky and sets the standard for any smoky style blend. Give us a glass of neat Johnnie Walker anytime and we’re a happy happy whisky drinker.
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Dewar’s 12 Year Blended Scotch Whiskey
The Dewar’s 12 Year is “double aged” and finished in a vintage Oak cask, and up to 40 different whiskies go into each blend. Founded by John Dewar and dating back to 1846, Dewar’s blended Scotch whisky is available in White Label, 12 Year, 18 Year and Signature blends.
Dewar’s 12 Year Tasting Notes: Lightly smoky, thin flavor, medium warmth, complex and a thin flavor, smooth and a bit sweet. This is a good quality blended scotch whiskey.
Rules to Live by for the Aspiring Scotch Connoisseur; Single Malt Scotch Whisky vs. Blended Scotch Whisky
This is only meant to serve as a brief introduction and overview of the differences between Single Malt Scotch Whisky and Blended Scotch Whisky. There is also Bourbon Whiskey, Irish Whiskey, Canadian Whiskey, Rye Whiskey, etc.
Single Malt Scotch and Blended Scotch Whisky are similar spirits but are often incorrectly assumed to be interchangeable. A single malt scotch is distilled of only malted barley and water at one distillery. Where as Blended Scotch Whisky is typically 60-80% grain whiskey mixed with several single malt scotch’s.
Blended Scotch Whisky uses the grain whisky to cut the “harshness” of the pure single malts. It is typically distilled in the “low lands” and has a more mellow flavor then a single malt scotch. Every major Blended Scotch Whisky producer has a “Master blender” who creates combinations of several single malts and grain whisky’s to produce a flavor unique to their brand. They not only need to know mixture of the current single malt’s they utilize but they need to know what other single malts they can substitute if the quality or availability of a certain single malt changes. They are also responsible to sample every batch to ensure consistency in their product. Examples of Blended Scotch Whisky are; Dewar’s, JohhnieWalker, J&B, The Famous Grouse and Chivas Regal.
Single Malt Scotch has a wide array of tastes, which vary depending on; the malt and water used, where it is produced, if peat is used in the drying process, how it is stored and for how long it is stored. The scotch must be matured for at least 3 years to be considered a Single Malt Scotch. As a Scotch matures it continues to change in character and begins to mellow. The older Scotch is often more expensive due to further evaporation during the maturation process as well as the prolonged marketing.
The beauty of single malt scotch is that there are a multitude of variables that alter the taste, color and aroma. In the end it comes down to a personal preference of the taster and what characteristics they enjoy. A peaty scotch has a discernable smoky flavor to it because the peat is added to the fire that is used to dry the malt after the germination process. The type of cask a scotch is matured in changes the flavor as well. Bourbon and Sherry casks are the most commonly used, but Bordeaux wine, port and Cognac are some other commonly utilized casks. Single Malt’s such as Balvenie are often available in a double cask addition where they are transferred to a second cask towards the end of the maturation process to pick up additional characteristics. Single Malts that are matured by the ocean often pick up a slight trace of the salty ocean air in their flavor. A few examples of Single Malt Scotch include; Talisker, Laphroaig, Lagavulin, Oban, Balvenie, Singleton of Glendullan, Jura, Caol Ila, Ardbeg, and Bruichladdich.
One of the most important differences between Blended Scotch Whisky and Single Malt Scotch is in the way they should be served. Blended Scotch Whisky is typically served in a glass tumbler. On the other hand, Single Malt should be served in a tulip glass. The tulip glass has a bulb shaped bottom and narrows out toward the top. The wide bottom allows the flavor to mature in the glass while the narrow top helps to keep the aroma locked in, similar to a snifter.
It is common place to hear Blended Scotch Whisky ordered on the rocks or with a finger or two of water added. Since Blended Scotch Whisky is already diluted at least 60% by the grain whiskey this is an acceptable way to drink this spirit. Single Malt should be served with only a couple drops of distilled water added. This serves to break the surface tension which opens up the flavor of the single malt. Adding more water or putting it on the rocks simply dilutes the taste and compromises the integrity of the single malt.
A Double Gold Medal Speyside Triple Malt
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