Lagavulin 9 Year (Game of Thrones-House Lannister)

So, my first GOT sample. I recently purchased this at a discounted price to share with my son who is/was a huge GOT fan and learning to appreciate whisky (because of me?). I have been drinking this with some mental notes and tasted recently. Being a Lagavulin, I know what I am in for and have certain expectations. Hints of bacon-wrapped hickory-smoked oysters with a maple syrup glaze. Maritime brininess, cream soda, grilled pears, sweet tea. A nose reminiscent of campfires near the ocean and autumn breakfasts. Like at a B&B with an indoor fire going with a Vermont syrup on the bacon. Though my descriptors may be vivid, the aromas are actually not as dense. They are detectable but time, patience and digging may you find these notes. As expected, the campfire, smokey peaty flavor is the primary flavor. Now, add vanilla icing, lemon zest, toffee, dark chocolate and dark roast coffee, grilled peaches. Chew on it and hold it in and wood spices and cinnamon spices provide the tingle. A woody bitter palate, lemon zest and white pepper keep the palate dry and spicy. Slight cigar ash remains to the end. Short overall finish that you wished found a way to stay. I have been drinking this over a course of two weekends and noticed a few things. The neck pour revealed the youthful side. Spicy, biting, tingly with a predominant peaty, tobacco flavor. However, as the volume decreased and oxidation occurred, it softened somewhat and more of the sweetness was more present. This definitely improved with time in the opened bottle. Comparatively, it’s akin to Talisker 10 with the smoky, peppery sweetness (IMO). I would definitely choose a Talisker, Laphroaig or Ardbeg first before choosing a pour of Lagavulin 9. A good second place pour. At about $10 less then the discounted price, the trifecta is a better purchase at around $49 then the $59 Lagavulin 9 GOT. Worthy of a try. [87/100][$59][Tasted: 9/18/21]

N: Intense, Lag campfire. But there is subtlety in it with lots of fruit drying in the smoke: lemon, pear, green apple, and maybe some pineapple slices. A swirl tosses off caramel and vanilla. And the peat - it's gentler than the 16 with an herbal tea character with a side of wet moss. The notes don't really break down beyond that though - there's no panoply of industrial chemical smells here - just smoke and peat. It also feels less perfume-y than the 16. P: Sweet lemon cake, custard, vanilla frosting, and then fire at the back of the throat - this one moves fast. Salty. Cinnamon that starts out lacking any heat and then brings the heat as it moves into the finish. I'm getting ahead of myself - there's a tannic bitterness and some accompanying charred wood early to mid palate. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee weave in and out. Little bit of coffee, a bitter dark roast, floats in and out. Finish is fast and hard - hot cinnamon pushing toward overwhelming with a subtle dusting of powdered chocolate adding just enough contrast. And it all ends pretty quick. Smoke is in the background from start to finish. Don't get much on the peat side. This reminds me a bit of the Laphroaig 10, but without the medicinal or chemical notes. There's something about the profiles of each, excluding the Laph medicine cabinet, that just feels the same to me. And I think that's a compliment - especially for a dram that's basically a TV show marketing tool, even if made by Lagavulin. I guess the point is Lag took it seriously and has released a fine whisky here that slots nicely into the 8-10 year old Islay range. Don't go crazy looking for this, or pay crazy upcharges (I often see it locally at $100+ - don't do that), but if you spot a bottle at roughly $50-60, it's a solid buy.

With whisky prices today, it feels like a steal to find this for $45. Probably should've cleared the shelf at that price. The nose is honey glazed barbecued pork belly. Some orchard fruit in there. The peat is barbecue smoke and slightly briny, but it's balanced by the sweet and fruit. Citrus fruit becomes becomes more prominent after some time. The palate shows ashy smoke, creamy caramel, brine, lemon custard, a touch of oak. The finish is a little peppery, with ashy smoke and sweet lingering. It's not got the depth of the 16 year, but the bump in proof is appreciated and it's a solid peaty dram on its own. I've been in a peaty mood, and this fits the bill. I don't know what this was originally priced at, but at $45 it's a no-brainer. Probably over-rating this a bit due to value, but going with 4 stars. I may have to make another visit to buy some more.

distinct laga character, more roundness to this, high pep, strong character, high pep , apple pear, sweetness 2.75 bitterness, very thin and flat, you do not get complexity with this but towards the tail end you get mild characters of laga, the front of this is flat underwhelming and not a great experience though - bitterness, oaky if you really like thin young whisky - this is for you 1 flat, oaky, bitterness 1 laga 9 year GOT very little resemblance to lagavulin (cherry sweetness), and you also get some resemblance of muskiness, dryness, mid pep high pep 2 1.5 butteriness, delicate, herbal, grassy, some peatiness and no meaty taste to this 1.5 oaky mid sustained 1.5 1.5

A- amber-1, high viscosity N- light peat and smoke, fruity (tangerines, green apples, sultanas, lemon zest, orange peels), honey, vanilla, sea minerals P- spicy smoky arrival , rich, full, oily, savory, briny, white pepper, sultanas, tangerines, green apples, honey, vanilla, sea water, wet oak F- medium finish, sweet-savory-pepper aftertaste C- the first time I tried this bottle I did not give a high rating but maybe it was my fault because I added some drops of water and it got bland so I waited 2 months to give another try and this time no water added and oh boy!! how the oxidation helped this dram, it needs patience but I recommend it

Nose: peaty but more of the wood smoke side. A slight sweetness to it and a touch of burnt rubber. Orange peel oils like you may find on the rim of an Old Fashioned. Some honey and malted barely as it opens. Palate: slightly oily mouth feel with oak like spice. Think of a nutmeg or cinnamon topped hot drink by a wood burning fireplace. Orange zest like freshness brings you into the finish. Finish: Sweeter smoke with a brininess that’s drys the palate a bit. Doesn’t linger too long.