In 2019, as the final season of Game of Thrones aired on HBO, Diageo released one of the more unlikely collaborations in single-malt history: eight whiskies from eight different distilleries, each paired with one of the great houses of Westeros (plus the Night's Watch). Talisker went to House Greyjoy, Dalwhinnie to House Stark, Cardhu to House Targaryen — and Lagavulin, appropriately enough for a house whose words are Hear Me Roar, was chosen for House Lannister.
The whisky itself is a 9-year-old Lagavulin bottled at 46% ABV. Matured in refill American oak, it sits between the 8 and the 16 in age but carries its own character: slightly drier than the 8, less sherried than the 16, and framed with a gold-and-crimson livery that nods to Casterly Rock.
Beneath the television-tie-in packaging is a perfectly legitimate young Lagavulin. The peat is forthright, the coastal saltiness is intact, and the extra year in wood over the 8 adds a touch of rounded vanilla sweetness. It is recognisably Lagavulin, recognisably young, and recognisably bottled for an occasion rather than for eternity.
Whether the marketing gimmickry enhances or diminishes the drinking experience is a matter of personal disposition. As a dram, it stands perfectly well alongside its core-range cousins. A Lannister always pays his debts, and Lagavulin has delivered its dues with honour.
