What’s in a name?
Monkey Shoulder was created to be a bold modern whisky but its name references whisky's long heritage and comes from an old whisky term.
Before mechanisation, maltmen had the back-breaking task of hand-turning germinating barley on the malthouse floor, lifting it with a wooden shovel called a shiel and throwing it over their shoulder to turn the grain and spread it to stop the growing roots from becoming matted and ensure even germination. This repetitive and arduous task often resulted in a muscle injury that cause their arm to hang lower, a bit like a monkey's, so the nicknamed 'monkey shoulder.'
Although Scotch whisky is still made using traditional methods, modern technology has helped ease some of the back-breaking tasks so the condition no longer exists, but those hard-working maltmen are honoured with this whisky's name.
Monkey Shoulder Fresh Monkey
Fresh Monkey is a category-changing blend of three Scotch new make spirits: one single malt and two grain whiskies.
Monkey Shoulder
Monkey Shoulder is a vatted malt (blended malt), made by blending three of William Grant & Sons' Speyside malts - Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Kininvie. The
Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey
A vatted malt whisky from William Grant & Sons, with headline smoke due to the use of whisky made with Highland peat-smoked malted barley.
