🥃 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.
If you know Monkey Shoulder and want the smoky one, this is it. Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey is the peated version of the brand: a blended malt Scotch whisky with no age statement and a strength of 40% ABV. The smoke comes from malt dried over Highland peat. In August 2017 it was first released in bars in Great Britain and France.
According to Difford's Guide, the blend is based on malts from Glenfiddich, The Balvenie and Kininvie, and the whisky matures in first-fill bourbon casks. The Spirits Business reports that the version was created at the request of bartenders; master blender Brian Kinsman said it keeps the vanilla, spice and citrus of the original while adding dry smoke. Whisky Israel reported in 2018 that the whisky was at first sold only in selected bars.
Why this matters to you. Compared with Monkey Shoulder The Original, the blending style is the same, but with the smoke of a peated whisky. If you do not want smoke, choose the original. The WHO reminds us that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption.
Facts
| Year founded | August 2017, bars in Great Britain and France (The Spirits Business) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | Scotch Whisky Regulations 2009 (SI 2009/2890) (Blended Malt Scotch Whisky) |
| EU category | 2 — whisky/whiskey |
| Raw material | barley malt, part dried over Highland peat |
| Cask type | first-fill ex-bourbon casks (according to Difford's Guide) |
| Minimum maturation | at least 3 years in oak by law; no age statement |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | 40% ABV |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey → kind of → 🥃 Whisky → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel, 🥃 Bourbon whiskey
- Made from
- 🥃 Glenfiddich, 🥃 The Balvenie, 🥃 Barley and malt in whisky
- What it contains
- 🍷 Ethanol
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Part of
- 🥃 Monkey Shoulder, 🥃 Whisky, 🥃 Blended Malt Scotch Whisky, 🥃 Scotch Whisky
- Related to
- 🥃 Speyside whisky
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Peated whisky, 🥃 Monkey Shoulder Fresh Monkey, 🥃 Monkey Shoulder Fresh Monkey, 🥃 Monkey Shoulder The Original, 🥃 Monkey Shoulder The Original
Frequently asked questions
Is Smokey Monkey made from Islay whisky?
The sources do not confirm this: The Spirits Business and Difford's Guide describe malt dried over Highland peat.
Since when has Smokey Monkey existed?
Since August 2017, when it was first released in bars in Great Britain and France.
What casks is Smokey Monkey matured in?
According to Difford's Guide, first-fill ex-bourbon casks.
What is the difference between Smokey Monkey and Monkey Shoulder The Original?
The blending style is the same, but Smokey Monkey adds the smoke of a peated whisky. If you do not want smoke, choose The Original.
Is Smokey Monkey a single malt, and what is its ABV?
No. It is a blended malt Scotch whisky with no age statement, bottled at 40% ABV.
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.
- 🍷 Oak barrel — A wooden vessel made of oak staves in which wine matures, picks up new aromas and slowly takes in air.
- 🥃 Speyside whisky — Speyside is a protected Scotch whisky region in north-eastern Scotland along the River Spey. Its 52 distilleries (SWA, 2024) make it the densest whisky region in the world; the name on a label means distillation there.
- 🥃 Bourbon whiskey — Bourbon is American whiskey from a mash of at least 51% corn, aged in new charred oak barrels and bottled at 40% ABV (80 proof) or more, with no colouring or flavouring. “Straight” means at least 2 years.
Similar
🥃 Monkey Shoulder The Original · 🥃 Monkey Shoulder Fresh Monkey · 🥃 Cardhu Amber Rock · 🥃 Loch Lomond 12 Year Old · 🥃 Cardhu 18 Year Old · 🥃 Cardhu 15 Year Old
⚠️ 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 Smokey Monkey Blended Malt Scotch Whisky (primarily Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Kininvie; first-fill ex-bourbon casks; Highland peat-smoked malted barley; 40 %)
- The Spirits Business, 02.08.2017: Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey launches in on-trade (UK and France bars; Highland peat; 40 %; master blender Brian Kinsman)
- Whisky Israel, 07.02.2018: A smokey version of Monkey Shoulder? Smokey Monkey (40 %; at first only in selected bars)
- 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)