If you haven’t heard of Game of Thrones, then you might have been living in a fantasy world for the last few years- which would be oddly poetic, in a way. The TV series has captured our imaginations as well, and we confess to be fans of both it and the series.
It seems like spirits giant Diageo have also found itself caught in the web, and so have released a series of Single Malts to coincide with Game of Thrones’ final season. This too, might not be news to you. It does leave a burning question to those who love their books, their booze, and their tubes.
Is the whisky any good?
Winter has come.
It was inevitable, of course.
While seasons last for years in the mythical land of Westeros, where the series is set, in our mundane version of Earth, each season lasts for mere months, and then comes the long wait for the next and the whole cycle repeats itself.
Well, that has just happened for the last time. Hell has frozen over, and the true villains of the story, the White Walkers, have come to end the series one way or another.
Westeros is a close mirror to the British Isles, and its players are recognisably British (though not always English). It seems appropriate, therefore, for the very British Diageo to do its part, and it has obliged by heralding the end of world with its White Walker blend, released late last year.
Naturally, with a stable as large as Diageo’s, we expected the Single Malts to soon follow- and so, here they are. They, as in eight of them, themed after some of the major players in the series (but not the books, as you’ll find). Most of the output of the distilleries featured in the series are primarily used for blending whisky, and don’t really have single malts out in the market.
We tasted all of them, and we’ll give you the tasting notes- as well as some of our thoughts on how close they cleave to the Houses they represent.
Tully- The Singleton of Glendullan Select
The house of Tully is a river-borne one, and has a trout as its heraldic animal. The series might have begun with the Starks, but most of the major events in the earlier seasons had the Tullys in the middle of the action. The whisky representing the house comes from Glendullan, itself built on the banks of the River Fiddich.
Nose: Light citrus. The vanilla, grain and biscuit notes that are characteristic of bourbon cask maturation are evident here. There’s a bit of cloves as well towards the tail end.
Palate: A very light profile that reminds us awfully of younger whiskies from a certain brand with a triangular bottle. Fruity flavours of gooseberry, fresh apricot and green apples are forefront. There’s a tiny bit of grain, as well.
Finish: Medium length. A tiny bit of wood and cloves.
A fair whisky, one that we find fresh and fruity, and appropriate, probably quite good with freshwater fish. It doesn’t have much heft, and if you’re going to drink the other whiskies in the series, this should be the warm-up. Considering the distillery’s location, we could call it thematically appropriate!
Stark- Dalwhinnie Winter’s Frost
The house doesn’t need most introduction. If you had asked the average person who the main characters of the TV show were, chances are they would say “The Starks”. It is, however, fairly grim up North, as a cursory examination of the series’ posters would tell you. The whisky, fittingly, comes from Dalwhinnie, one of the Northernmost distilleries of the Highland region of Scotland.
Nose: A fainter one than we expected. We get the bourbon-cask characteristics of vanilla, biscuit, grain and Chinese malt candy. There’s a little dried apricot in here.
Palate: Sweet honey, with a heavy dose of caramel, dried apricot, and some very light citrus.
Finish: Fairly long but mild. Cloves, black tea and wood.
Overall, we find that the nose is not great, but the richness of the actual flavour makes up for it. Perhaps that links to the Stark family, who seem cold and suspicious at first, but have great inner warmth. We had hoped for a hint of the cold, or the hint of the tragedy of the Starks, but perhaps that would be asking too much.
Targaryen- Cardhu Golden Reserve
After the Starks, the Targaryens might be the most famous of the Game of Thrones houses. Represented by the would-be Queen Daenerys, or Khaleesi to some folks who have been watching since Season One, their themes are fire, blood and revenge. Also, dragons. We almost forgot about that last one.
In the Single Malt series, it is represented by Cardhu, a Speyside distillery and one of Diageo’s crown jewels in the malt market. The connection comes from the two fiery women who put the distillery on the map- Helen Coming and her daughter in law Elizabeth. Starting as illicit distillers, they outsmarted the lawmen, outmaneuvered their competitors and outlasted their rivals.
Nose: Still grain and biscuits. Some cream, vanilla and a bit of pine. Apricot, muscat grapes and white peaches round out the nose.
Flavour: Surprisingly soft with the now-familiar biscuit and grain flavours. There is some honey here, and a nice note of dried lemon peel.
Finish: Middle length. Quite spicy, and almost bitter. There is cinnamon and clove.
A little disappointing. Other than the fiery woman link, the whisky doesn’t quite shout FIRE AND BLOOD to us. We wouldn’t be reminded of dragons when drinking this. Perhaps a nice pleasant summer’s day. Of all the whiskies, this was the one which could have used some peat.
Baratheon- Royal Lochnagar 12 Years Old
Ostensibly, Baratheon was the ruling house of Westeros, having toppled the Targaryens in a bloody civil war. Its members were fierce, proud men with barely controlled anger. Has historical links to Norman invaders- who, one should remember, did conquer England way back.
The whisky itself is from Royal Lochnagar, so named because it actually has a Royal Warrant. The distillery itself is a stone’s throw away from the Queen’s estate at Balmoral in Scotland. The connection is fairly clear.
Nose: A sweet smell of confectionery. Cream, grain and some pine. There is white pepper here, as well as cocoa and wood.
Palate: Sweet but reserved, somehow. We get grass, hay and heather, Sweet honey and malt candy. It’s got a firm body and discernible, dry tannin, which then evolves into spice.
Finish: Light but tannic. Grain and some spice- pepper and cloves.
A fair dram, that we can enjoy if we’re looking for something of medium body. We were expecting power and full-on flavours, considering that Baratheon’s heraldic animal is a stag- antlers and aggression.
The Night’s Watch: Oban Bay Reserve
The Night’s Watch are the sworn guardians of the realm, who protect Westeros from the very spooky White Walkers. They’re situated on The Wall, which is the very roof of the world as far as the characters in the series are concerned.
Oban is, in our opinion, one of the more underappreciated malts in Scotland. The distillery is located in the town of Oban, a port town that serves as the gateway to the Hebridean Islands. It has a small production, which goes mainly into blends.
Nose: A whiff of brine greets us on the initial whiff. We get orange, figs, apricot, rockmelon and a bit of chocolate.
Palate: Delightfully rich. Honey, figs, candied orange peels and dried apricot on the first impression. We also get heather and interestingly enough, some macadamia nuts.
Finish: Spicy and long. We get licorice and a tiny, tiny bit of smoke.
Having tasted the distillery’s 14 year old, this seems to be even more powerful, but not as elegant. It’s still got quite a lot of depth and complexity for a (presumably) young whisky. It makes for pleasant drinking.
Other than the cliffs around Oban acting as stand-in for The Wall, it doesn’t bring to mind a brotherhood of demon-destroying guardians. We imagine less warmth and more ice.
Tyrell- Clynelish Reserve
Tyrell is lush and gorgeous. As a stand-in for Medieval France, it represents vast lands and bountiful agrarian resources. Its symbol, a golden flower, is fitting. Beauty, wealth, nature and femininity; a recurring theme for its characters in the series.
Clynelish itself is highly regarded; seen as the successor to Brora, one of the great “Lost Distilleries”. Most of its production goes into Johnnie Walker Gold Label, but its regular release single malt, a 14 year old, is an excellent whisky indeed. Its trademark is a thick, “waxy” character.
Nose: Yes, it’s definitely a Clynelish. We get a light dose of moss, grass and pine. There’s also some sweet nectar-like notes, honey, dried fruit and rockmelon. There is a thick creamy note, along with cashew nuts and a little bit of peat at the end.
Palate: A lovely one. Rich, thick honey. Candied orange peel, rockmelon. Mango, banana and milk chocolate to finish.
Finish: Nut, wet wood and light, light spice.
We love this. It’s rich, but not excessive. Sweet, but not cloying. Elegant but with a strong foundation. Those words could easily describe House Tyrell. Very appropriate.
Lannister- Lagavulin 9 Years Old
Ah, Lannister. The counterparts to the House of Lancaster, one of the claimants to the throne in the historical War of the Roses. Described as Machiavellian, power-obsessed and ruthless. Our favourite house for sure.
Lagavulin needs little introduction. One of the jewels in Diageo’s crown, it produces one of the world’s best peated malts, and manages to do so year upon year, and at a very reasonable price to boot. It’s got that classic peated Islay characteristic- iodine and smoke. A great representative for Islay.
Nose: Peat, but not like an inferno. A smoldering fire. There’s grain and a little bit of shoe polish. Sandalwood and incense.
Palate: Tastes like a Lagavulin. Very peaty, but it does not remind one of medicine. Liquid smoke, paired with grain and a tiny bit of citrus.
Finish: Peat, peat and peat.
This has the classic flavours of the distillery, but feels a somewhat more youthful. Vibrant, expressive, but untamed and a little raw. It’s a fair representation of some of the younger Lannisters- Jaime, perhaps. He, too, needed to find a bit of maturity in age and experience. Yet, he retains the power and fiery temper of his House.
Greyjoy- Talisker Select Reserve
Greyjoy, an analogue to the Danish raiders who terrorised the coasts of Medieval Britain. They rise from the sea, like the vikings they are based from, and have a certain wildness and irreverence. Their symbol is a kraken. Quite appropriate, we think.
Talisker seems like an appropriate choice. It remains the only distillery on the Isle of Skye, an island of natural beauty- and isolation. It retains a very distinct maritime character. Salt and brine are common flavours to find in a Talisker.
Nose: Brine, of course. Soft peat, not as intense as the Lagavulin. There’s some grass notes, apricots, peach and some nuts.
Palate: A light peat. There’s a slight saltiness here, as well as sweet grain, apricot, lemon zest, leather, herbs and leather.
Finish: Peat grain and spice.
Not bad at all. Pleasant, and a nice midpoint between the fire of Islay and the sweetness of the Highlands. The whisky is well integrated. Its youth, while evident, is not distracting. It is also a good fit for the Greyjoys with its maritime tang and peat- one can easily imagine the fire of Vikings raids.
Summing it all up
Whew. That was quite a ride. Eight whiskies; it would be difficult to make them all of even quality.
Fortunately, while there were some that left us a little disappointed thematically, none of the whiskies were what we would consider poor. We did not particularly enjoy the Stark (Dalwhinnie) and Targaryen (Cardhu) whiskies, but on the other hand, we can wholeheartedly endorse the Tyrell (Clynelish) and Lannister (Lagavulin).
Make no mistake, they are not intended to be high-end whiskies, and are priced to match that. The entire set of eight is available at $1188, which is a reasonable price indeed. So, if you like whisky, this is a great chance to try a huge variety without breaking the bank. If you are fan of the show, this is an affordable way to commemorate its last season, and enjoy a few drams along the way.
You can pick up a set of the eight single malts at $1188 from 1855 or at AsherBWS. You can also get individual bottles at DFS. If you want to try all the whiskies for yourself, you can do it at The Monarchy at $88++ a flight.
