Cardhu Gold Reserve (Game of Thrones-House Targaryen)

Oaky, smooth honey, not peaty. Good bottle for straight out of bottle neat. No ice needed. Surprising for the money it charges

Winter is coming, and so is the avalanche of GoT-themed Diageo releases. I'm working on picking them up a few at a time to collect the whole set. I freely and fully acknowledge that this is the Mother of Gimmicks more than an attempt by Diageo to release great, hitherto untasted whiskey, so I'm going to do something I've not done before, and that's incorporate the marketing theme's success (or failure) in each bottling into my rating. If you're going to cash in on the biggest show on television, you'd best bring your A game to Whisky Town. This...doesn't bring its A game. The whisky, in and of itself, is fine. Not spectacular - like just about everything else ever made by Cardhu, it's a classic Speyside single malt, but a bit lacking in complexity, individuality, and memorability. Loads of sea salt-sprinkled chocolate and ripe orchard fruits to be found, with a satisfyingly round mouthfeel and a hint of vanilla and coconut cream. It reminds me almost more of Irish whiskey. It's enjoyable enough, if not spectacular. At $40, at least I feel like I came away with something to show for the money, as it's not badly priced. What I *don't* get here is why you would pick this as the Targaryen entry. There is literally nothing about the dram that says "Mother of Dragons" to me, other than perhaps the distillery's history of strong women leading its efforts. Even then, that's not present in the glass and you have to be a hell of a whisky nerd to know about the women of Cardhu...I mostly know because I've been to the distillery and took the tour. No, give me something with a little smoke for the dragon-riding dynasty and their motto of "Blood and Fire," please. I'd call this a 3.5 normally, but I'm docking some points for dropping the promo ball here.

smells great! citrusy, sweet, and a touch of salt. smooth. easy to drink. finishes with a little carmel.