Oban Bay Reserve (Game of Thrones-The Night's Watch)

Cherry nose. Orange (citrus?) spice. Soft with minimal burn on the backside.

The game of thrones bottles have gotten insanely popular but this one for some reason is going for well in excess of even some of the good ones. I have no idea what's driving this. So first comment all of these bottles are comically overly colored and this one is no exception despite having an all black bottle. I don't really get it. And of course 43% because I guess it's cheaper? Nose - lemon grass, salt, a touch of peat, and a bit of malt. Taste - A mix of citrus, bitter, and sweet. This is actually pretty darn complex bringing in a nice bit of sea, oak, and sweet. You get a note of younger oak. The mouth feel starts decently when it starts but once you get used to the strong citrus notes it starts tasting more watery. I intended to be pretty critical of this one, but it's been opening up since I bought it and frankly it's a pretty good dram. Should you seek it out? God no...it's just ok whisky and any markup would be absurd. That said if you have some locally for a fair price, pick it up, it's a great bottom shelf scotch that you can drink straight.

Nose: pops of fruit quickly curtailed by hints of smoke, wood, and ethanol. Taste: bright fruit, maybe even citrus as it touches your tongue. Malt and sherry come through strong but are balanced out by a delightful cream. Slight smokiness, but nothing overbearing. Decent mouthfeel and overall rich taste. Finish: medium - neither short nor long - oak/wood, slight smoke, faint honey, and absolutely delightful tobacco