Monkey See
There aren’t many times in my decade long tenure at K&L that I remember running seasonal promotions. In fact, I don’t think we’ve ever done a time sensitive discount offer quite like this. But right now til the end of August we’ve taken $10 off the price of the famous Monkey 47 Gin.
On a liter, we’re suddenly looking at something almost affordable, when you consider the cost of other (often lesser) craft gin that have flooded the market in recent years. There’s a lot of special gin out there, but Monkey retains its position as the most opulent and complex offering in the category. It’s got a good reason to be the most expensive gin on the market.
We’re limited, as part of the promotion, to selling four bottles at a time, but I won’t knock you if you, your mom and all your cousins each order four. Starting September 1, the price reverts back to the original, which incidentally doesn’t stop us from selling thousands of bottles of the magical elixir a year.
When we first saw Monkey in the States, this is what I wrote to capture my intense feelings about the arrival of something so coveted:
”The first time I saw it we were in Scotland. I full on freaked out at a small spirits shop in Edinburgh when I noticed this quirky bottle of gin sitting on the shelf. For years, the Monkey 47 had been unobtanium, a regrettable situation for the knowledgeable and gin soaked. None of us had experienced this legendary gin yet, but thanks to the UK's lax wine shop regulations -the old "taste whatever you like" rule was in full effect. We were soon dunking our noses in a few splashes of its magnificence.
I think tasting this after several other gins really put into perspective how special it really is. Created through the confluence of British aesthetics, Indian flavors, and the distinctly Teutonic natural treasure that is the Schwarzwald, The Monkey packs an enormous amount of complexity into that little bottle. It's the sort of gin that will save that cocktail you're about to ruin. You could have just as well served it straight because it sips beautifully even at room temperature.
It’s quite a departure from your standard recipe gin, although some familiar elements are layered throughout. There is a strong yet soothing evergreen presence. A keynote if you will, but by no means the only focus. On the nose a dried floral aroma is accented by a twinge of spicy ginger. At the front, what seems like a citrus or chamomile quickly morphs into tea tree and sweet herbs, lemon verbena -now cucumber peel and pepper, it just keeps on going.
No point in continuing to describe its flavor, its not working. It has a glorious tendency to be completely different with each sip, a true roller-coaster of flavors. Every single one of its 47 botanicals is tuned to the same perfect frequency. It's wild and utterly fabulous, but not in an awkward way. Instead, it seems to be all very deliberate, even stoic. I gladly forked over the £s the shop was asking, as did my colleagues. We nearly cried when we heard it would finally be arriving stateside.”
I still feel just as excited every time I pull that attractive little cork from the top of my bottle. Monkey do it.