Lagavulin 9 Year (Game of Thrones-House Lannister)

I think I’m overdue to review another Game of Thrones themed scotch whisky. This is the one I think I was most excited for when the distillery list was officially released: Lagavulin. Now, to be honest, I’m not a diehard Laga fan like, say, Parks & Rec actor Nick Offerman. They have a staple whisky with their 16yo offering and I also enjoyed the 8yo that they released for their 200th anniversary (which quickly became a core range release). Owner, Diageo, also releases a cask strength, 12yo as part of their annual, limited releases and I’d have to say that is my favorite Lagavulin. So, the Game of Thrones release is a 9yo whisky that’s bottled at 46%. I’m sure there’s added color (to make it exactly the same as the rest of the GoT bottles). I do believe it is still non-chill filtered, however. It’s bronze in color and still looks very watery in the Glencairn. It produces a few large drops after a spin, but they tend to stick to the glass. The nose is a meaty, charcoal smoke at first. Some light mint and citrus peel fold around the smoke before turning sweeter than I expected. Fresh cut oak provides a strong backbone here, though. The palate strikes me as overly sweet on the initial sip. I get cotton candy and vanilla creams crowding the smoked beef and lightly abrasive oak and young juice. It seems like the sweet side is fighting with the smoky side- and neither can gain control or a strong foothold. The later batches of the 16yo seemed to have this same issue, albeit the whisky was much more smooth due to the extra maturation time. The finish is long and slightly harsh. There’s a dry smoke on the back of the tongue and lingering vanilla. Overall, I’m not sure I’m a big fan of this whisky. It’s a quality release from Lagavulin, but I tend to like the higher proof or the straight smoky aspect from this distillery. The sherry cask parts seem to overpower the peat in this malt. So, my score isn’t me indicating that this is a subpar malt, it’s just my opinion towards a flavor profile that I don’t prefer from Lagavulin. Give me the 8yo and 12yo CS every time and I’ll be a happy man. This is just a 3.5 star dram for me. I fully understand that your mileage may vary. Cheers.