🥃 Monkey Shoulder Fresh Monkey
Unaged blended grain spirit from Monkey Shoulder: two grain spirits and one Speyside malt spirit, 40% ABV (80 proof); since July 2022; not a whisky.
Monkey Shoulder Fresh Monkey is a version of the Monkey Shoulder brand that is not a whisky. It is a blended grain spirit: a blend of three fresh, unaged spirits from William Grant & Sons distilleries, at a strength of 40% ABV (80 proof). It was presented on 19 July 2022, International Daiquiri Day, with events in London and Paris.
According to GreatDrams and SLTN, the blend contains two grain spirits and one Speyside malt spirit, mixed right after distillation with no cask maturation. Difford's Guide describes the blend in the same way: one malt and two grain spirits. The blender Brian Kinsman led development; the brand positions the spirit for cocktails and compares its flexibility with light rum.
Why this matters to you. A drink that has not spent three years in an oak cask cannot be called Scotch whisky, so Fresh Monkey is a different type of drink from Monkey Shoulder The Original and Smokey Monkey. Read the full name on the label. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | 19 July 2022 (GreatDrams) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | not whisky: no oak maturation, whereas the Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 require at least 3 years |
| Raw material | two grain spirits and one Speyside malt spirit |
| Minimum maturation | none (new make) |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Monkey Shoulder Fresh Monkey → affects → 🍷 Alcohol and health ← affects ← 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Made from
- 🥃 Single Grain Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Monkey Shoulder
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Rum, 🥃 Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey, 🥃 Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey, 🥃 Monkey Shoulder The Original, 🥃 Monkey Shoulder The Original
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Fresh Monkey is a whisky?
No. The spirits are not matured in casks, and Scotch whisky must mature in oak for at least 3 years. It is a blended grain spirit.
What is Fresh Monkey made of?
According to GreatDrams and SLTN, two grain spirits and one Speyside malt spirit.
When did Fresh Monkey appear?
On 19 July 2022, International Daiquiri Day; the first events took place in London and Paris.
What is the ABV of Fresh Monkey?
40% ABV, which is 80 proof.
Who developed Fresh Monkey, and what is it for?
The blender Brian Kinsman led development. The brand positions the spirit for cocktails and compares its flexibility with light rum.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🍷 Ethanol — The alcohol formed during fermentation that makes you drunk.
- 🥃 Rum — A distillate of sugar-cane molasses, syrup or juice: in the EU at least 37.5% ABV, no flavourings or added alcohol, up to 20 g/l of sugar; in the US bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more.
- 🥃 Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey — The peated version of Monkey Shoulder: a blended malt Scotch whisky with no age statement, malt dried over Highland peat smoke, first-fill bourbon casks, 40% ABV; since August 2017.
- 🍷 Drunk driving — Never drive after drinking wine: alcohol slows your reactions.
Similar
🥃 Monkey Shoulder The Original · 🥃 Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey · 🥃 Haig Club · 🥃 Loch Lomond Single Grain · 🥃 Ardmore Legacy · 🥃 Barceló Blanco Añejado
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- Difford's Guide: Monkey Shoulder Fresh Monkey Blended Grain Spirit (three Scotch new make spirits: one malt, two grain; unaged; 40 %; William Grant & Sons)
- GreatDrams, 19.07.2022: Monkey Shoulder Breaks New Ground on International Daiquiri Day with Cutting Edge Blended Grain Spirit, Fresh Monkey (two grain and one Speyside malt new make; 40 %; Brian Kinsman)
- SLTN, 06.09.2022: Fresh take on grain spirits (Fresh Monkey: unaged new make, two grain spirits and one Speyside malt, 40 %)
- The Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890), reg. 3: definition and categories of Scotch Whisky (Scotland, oak up to 700 l, min. 3 years, min. 40 % ABV)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)