Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey: The Peated Triple Malt — Speyside Smoke for Cocktail Lovers at 40%

Item: Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey: The Peated Triple Malt — Speyside Smoke for Cocktail Lovers at 40%
Rating: 7
Author: Duncan Cairns

Duncan Cairns April 10, 2026 2 views

7 /10

EDITOR

Distillery: William Grant & Sons
Type: Blended Malt
Age: NAS
ABV: 40% ABV
Price: £26

Tasting Notes

Nose

Sweet orange, malty funk, Highland peat, grilled pineapple, toasted hazelnuts, candied orange, honey, delicate smoke — gentler peat than Islay

Palate

Citrus and creaminess, butterscotch, toffee, light smoky peat, ginger, pepper, nutmeg, ash — light-bodied with balanced sweetness

Finish

Short — smoke, apple, vanilla — too fleeting neat but perfect in a Penicillin cocktail

First Impressions

Monkey Shoulder Smokey Monkey — the peated extension of the original triple malt. Speyside malts with added peated component. Highland-style peat, not Islay medicinal.

Tasting

Orange and peat nose. Butterscotch palate with light smoke. Short finish. Better in cocktails than neat. A gateway to peated whisky for cocktail drinkers.

The Verdict

Smokey Monkey earns a 6.5 — a cocktail whisky first, sipper second. At £26, great value for a Penicillin base. Too thin neat but does exactly what it's designed for.

Where to Buy

Master of Malt
£32.50

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The Whisky Exchange
£33.50

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Duncan Cairns

Senior Whisky Reviewer

Duncan has spent two decades judging Scotch whisky at competitions from the International Wine & Spirit Competition to the World Whiskies Awards, developing a palate that prizes balance and terroir ab...