Review - Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition Blended Scotch Whisky
"...set the bar for blended scotches that we have sampled to date."
Rating 4 Glasses
- Distillery: Edrington Distillers Limited
- Years Aged: NAS
- Proof: 100
- Price (USD): $29.00
- Availability: Widespread
Tasting Notes:
- Color & Consistency: Dehydrated piss, legs like Serena Williams...fast and thick.
- Nose: Toffee, pepper, super super super subtle stewed fruit.
- Taste: Bold(made Matt's face turn red), Stewed fruit. Pepper, vanilla, toffee.
- Finish: Oily, lingers on the tongue for a short time. Some spice but with less bite.
- Conclusion: Good flavor profile and set the bar for blended scotches that we have sampled to date.
Cutty Sark took the cake during our blended scotch tasting session coming in heads above Monkey Shoulder and Bank Note.
Review - Bank Note Blended Scotch Whisky
Our group rated Bank Note on the same overall level as Monkey Shoulder in this tasting session but should earn some extra credit as it was almost $10 less expensive.
Rating 3.5 Glasses
- Distillery: Blended for Stanley Morrison & Son Ltd
- Years Aged: 5
- Proof: 86
- Price (USD): $22.95
- Availability: Widespread
Tasting Notes:
- Color & Consistency: Color of IPA, thin.
- Nose: Slightly sweet, light burn, clean
- Taste: Bit of peat, vanilla, toffee, mild burn.
- Finish: Clean, fleeting, very dry.
- Conclusion: Great buy for the money.
Our group rated Bank Note on the same overall level as Monkey Shoulder in this tasting session but should earn some extra credit as it was almost $10 less expensive. Cutty Sark took the cake between the trio and set the bar for us regarding blended scotch.
Photo Credit: Josh
Review - Monkey Shoulder Blended Malt Scotch Whisky
OK blended scotch for the money. Drinkable but wish the finish lasted longer. Nothing to really write home about.
Photo Credit: Monkey Shoulder
To quote their website: "The term 'monkey shoulder'... is a reference to a condition that maltmen sometimes picked up while working long shifts, turning the barley by hand. It had a tendency to cause their arm to hang down a bit like a monkey’s, so they nicknamed it 'monkey shoulder'."
Made from a blend of 3(undisclosed) Speyside single malts, the makers of Monkey Shoulder claim that it is "smooth and mellow" because they use no grain whisky and the individual malts are "matured" in "first fill ex-bourbon casks" to impart a vanilla flavor. Although we agree somewhat with the smoothness, we felt there was not enough vanilla notes present to fully substantiate this claim.
Photo Credit: Josh
Monkey Shoulder was the lowest rated of the evening's blended scotch whisky selections (Monkey Shoulder, Cutty Sark Prohibition Edition Blended Scotch Whisky & Bank Note Blended Scotch Whisky).
Rating 3.5 Glasses
- Distillery: William Grant & Sons Distillers Ltd
- Years Aged: NAS
- Proof: 86
- Price (USD): $ 32.00
- Availability: Widespread
Tasting Notes:
- Color & Consistency: Apple juice, young whisky, long legs, thin
- Nose: Sweet, nutty, toffee, caramel - No burn
- Taste: Sweet, watery & hints of citrus and brine
- Finish: Fleeting, oaky & thin
- Conclusion: OK blended scotch for the money. Drinkable but wish the finish lasted longer. Nothing to really write home about.