Side trek for today: Money Shoulder

I feel like a happy Monkey who travels on other’s shoulders. Another side trek into the world of Speyside. And not just one Speysider, but three. Monkey Should is a mix of three different malts: Balvenie, Glenfiddich and Kininvie. I have never tasted Kininvie, but the other two malts are familiar. Nothing smoky about this dram but it surely has a Monkey’s kick’s worth of price-quality in it. The bottle is relatively inexpensive but yet tasty. And it is tasty enough to beat most of blends and Irish whiskies in the price category.

 

How does the taste feels like? The palate has spiciness, malta, peat and vanilla oak. It has some sting of the Speysider drams (like Glenfiddich) but it is not bad. Relatively soft and yes, this would be a easy bottle to share and drink with friends. The finish is smooth. It does not last long, but it is smooth.

In their web pages ( https://www.monkeyshoulder.com ) they say this would go well with rocks or in drinks. With this pricing it is definitely worth a shot to try those some day. They have suggestions also, packed with humor https://www.monkeyshoulder.com/recipes/  Perhaps I’ll try Monkey Coffee, that is not in the list.

After a few sips the vanilla and spice are the most dominant tastes. And this is a sweet vanilla, with sugar on top. With the season’s spices and sweetness, this is not a bad dram during winter time. Not a bad dram, not at all.

Johnnie Walker Green Label 15YO 43%

Johnnie Walker has had it’s downsides (Red Label) and good moments (Double Black) with me. Thanks to a friend, I got a sample of Green Label for me to try on. Again, getting the information from the net, Wikipedia article tells something about this dram.
Green Label is a vatting of primarily four different Scottish malts. Most of the dram should be made of Talisker, Linkwood, Cragganmore and Caol Ila. Each of those malts are matured for a minimum of 15 years. Too bad I didn’t have any other Johnnie Walkers on my shelf this time, it would have been interesting to compare some different editions.

The nose is pleasant, but lacks anything special. There are a general whisky scents that consist of fruits, some smoke and sweetness. The first sip provides an interesting experience. First thing to flash in my thoughts, is the unpurity. There are familiar tastes, but all mixed as one. There is no strong body, nor any dashing character. In the end the bitterness is strongly present, while other tastes fade away rapidly.

On a second mouthful, there are more oiliness present. Talisker storming the seas with peppers, Caol Ila salts and smokiness require that the sip is a larger one. This one needs more quantity to provide more tastes. However, in the end the result is the same.

If I were to give point, I would not rate this one too high. This is a nice dram to drinking for sure. It would be nice to empty half a bottle of this with a friend or two, but it would not be about tasting. If using this in a tasting, it would provide an interesting contrast to single malts.
Since the last mouthful and writing parts of this article, the bitterness finally goes away and lefts Talisker and Caol Ila much more present. Pepper and smoke will remain in the aftertaste for a much longer time than I originally thought.

Wemyss Peat Chimeny will carry the smoke upwards

I’ve had a few blog posts about vatted/blended malts here, and I will of course continue writing them whenever I get a good chance to try them. Now that the spring is here already, it is going to be a much more often when I get outside to grab the photos of bottles as well. The fire is lit more often, since it is a great time to sit by it and enjoy the nice weather. Also, occasionally one might have a smoky bottle to enjoy along the smoking bonfire.

Wemyss is an independent bottler, that I’ve written about in a few past articles. One of theirs drinks was the Peat Chimney, which I tried at the UISGE earlier this year. And when a bottle of that wandered to my radar, I decided to take a shot with it.

Peat Chimney is a blended malt whisky. So, in another words, it should a vatting – depending how you use the term. The ingredients are at least eight years mature and it is bottled at 40% strength. In another words: it is easy to drink.

Peat Chimeny is not a extreme experience. I don’t think that has been ever the purpose. It is a tamed beast, a small fire that you like to sit by it and enjoy the setting sun. It is to go alongside a chattering and not to be the main topic. Sure, it can work nicely in tastings, but it is not the premier star but will carry on it's flag with a proud smile.

The nose is nice, there is smoke (good!), peat (yeay!) and some fruits. It does has a small “out of sync” character, that is a unchasten note from a impure blow horn. But it is good, that the person buffing to that horn does not have too much air in his lungs – the impurity fades into smoke very soon.
This kind of drams require a bigger sips than usually. It gets more voice that way. The smokiness and peat are most predominant factors that will touch you. There is no big whack, but a slap on a shoulder kind of effect. It is not very strong in taste, but you’ll notice it nicely. This is not about the width nor depth, it is about the surface detail. It is easy to taste, easy to consume and to enjoy. Yes, this is bit like licking a chimney, they did choose the name well.

The aftertaste is a bit bitter but there is enough of chimney in there too. Ash, rocks and charred details are present.

The Big Smoke – more name than heavy dingdongs

Duncan Taylor is a company that I have valued during my whisky hobby. They produce very nice bottlings, rare casks and delicious products like the NC2 series. So I was excited to see what this Big Smoke is. Unfortunately I did not remember, that this one’s big bother (60%) was in one tasting and it didn’t receive too many supporting votes. So this is the 40% version.

What they say, is that the Big Smoke is “a blend malt whiskies from some of the islands most
iconic distilleries, and then bottled at a relatively young age in its most rugged
form.” They also mention that Caol Ila, Bruichladdich and Ardbeg are present in this one.

The nose is surprisingly good! Perhaps it was the six isles that has tuned my nose into right compass direction, perhaps it is the air but it is a pleasant nose! Sweet, yes, smoky, no. Peat is present and yes, it is not a bad combination.

The taste is too watered down. There is some peat fire, some smoke and some character but I do feel it is kind mixed with too much water in here. There is sweetness and a bit of fire in there, but the taste disappears far too quickly, leaving only a burning alcohol behind. This one lacks body, dingdongs and force. Occasionally I do get a Ardbeg sensation in breathing, which is a good thing. But face it – the warrior got too many hits and it can’t stand on it’s own feet anymore.

This is one of the biggest disappointments I’ve had with whiskies. Had I gotten that as a gift, it would be ok – but when you buy it.. No, you want more to that price. It is far better than many of blends, but I find myself comparing it to the Six Isles and I do think it has more body than this one.

The bitterness is the taste that will stay on your mouth for a long time, after the last sip.

However, after I did write the article I let some time pass by. It was proven, that this was actually a ok scotch to be enjoyed in more larger quantities. So I must say, that this is actually a good drinking dram – just make sure you have doubles in your glass. Larger mouthfuls also do well with this one. When tasting whisky I usually use small sips, and it does not do any good for this one. A good highwayman portion will do nicely and you’ll get a nice mild smoky sensation much more present with this one.

The Six Isles – blended islay in a bottle

The Six Isles is a vatting, that summons it’s energy from the six isles in Scotland. Presented are Islay, Jura, Skye, Mull, Orkney and Arran.

Which drams did they use in the vatting? Jura, Skye and Arran don’t produce anything but Jura, Talisker and Arran.. at least not yet. Mull has Tobermory and Ledaig, Orkney produces Highland Park and Scapa (which one is more famous?) and then there is our beloved Islay which has a lot more to choose from. I’d make a guess on Caol Ila on this one, after all it is a huge producer of whisky in there and most mystery malts are made of it.

Some time has passed, since the uncapping the bottle for the first time. The taste gas developed for a lot better, than during the first ritual. The oxygen has worked it’s chants and now there is a nice combination of pepper, peat, smoke, oak, and sweetness with citrus. Soft, but somewhat bitter.

Not a bad result, for a vatted/blended malt. This does not compare to many of elixirs that flow from the Islay but this is definitely a nice whisky to drink – if you are in the mood for that. However, if you are new to whiskies, try a more “pure” dram that has a powerful character and a long taste after a long night. 

Big Peat takes a vacation by the waters

When walking on the shores of the lakes deep inside Finland, you never know what you’re going to find out there!

That iconic character knows how to relax, and enjoy the summer!

 

The time looses it’s meaning and seconds turn into minutes, into hours and into vacation.