Lagavulin 09-year-old - House Lannister

Quite special but there are other Lagas I like more

A little rolling and the odor that you first encounter is a very nice soft yet thick smoke smell! Where a Lagavulin usually goes more in the direction of the medicinal, it also goes in the smoky direction. A salty odor also meets you. After waiting a while and rolling a few times with the glass, I actually get no more than this. So we continue tasting the whisky. So then. But this one is nice! I taste the smoke from this whisky and also the salty. But there is much more to it! I clearly get something out of nuts. It reminded me a lot of salted cashews. The banana is also present is this whisky. And a kind of rubbery taste. You also clearly taste a kind of caramelized / burnt taste in the whisky. The aftertaste is delicious. Soft and a bit of smoke. And it lingers for a long time, so you can enjoy it extra long. Personally, I think that this is the best in the series, despite the fact that it has been colored again. I think that if he had been € 10 cheaper and had not been updated, he would have had the perfect price / quality ratio.

Nose reveals very little. Palate, a simple version of the 8yo. Lacking a bit in maturity--ashy, sweet, but a long way off the complexity one can typically find in the 12yo special releases. The 16yo also a superior drop. Entry level Lagavulin, and does really make me think its development does need the full 12 years. One of the better GoT bottles.

2020-11-22

Re-taste over a year later. Same sample.

And to say that it is my favorite distillery .... I have a pain in my Laga. Marketing when you hold us. I forgive you but do not try again :)

A really good Lagavulin - by far the best bottling from the Game of Thrones series; (tasted and described again on April 16, 2023!)

15-11-2019

Small sip allowed to taste.

Nose: Sweet and smokey. Tree fruits, apples and pears blending beautifully. Sweet tea biscuits. Palate: Smoky as expected. Oatmeal raisin cookies. Some citrusy waves. Graham crackers. Simpler than expected. Finish: Medium. Warm. Salty caramel. Overall Score: 84. Quite nice. Definitely has bite to it but it’s not overly complex by any means. I honestly think something a little older would have been a better fit for the GoT editions. The nose is the loveliest part while the palate seems to fall behind some.

So far I only knew the two older standard bottlings from the distillery, which are heavy and sedate in the glass. This one is more tangy with banana, vanilla and lemon and the typical Laga smoke above, but much "lighter". After a while, associations of vanilla sugar and shortbread cookies. Very soft in the mouth, almost oily, but still slightly peppery. In addition, sweet and smoky. Immediately afterwards cold ash, through which the banana slowly fights and is accompanied by notes of espresso. Length: 7/10 In terms of complexity not to be compared with the older brothers, but dangerously tasty. Nice part for such a "marketing" bottling, I like it a lot and with a better ending than its godfather. Grade: 2+

The golden color. Oily.

The peat is quite dominant. Phenolic smoke, seaweed, a little Iodine, ash, honey, caramel, healthy dose of black pepper, traces of vanilla. Not too complex (I am not getting any fruits nor wood notes), yet quite drinkable. An OK expression of Lagavulin that is different from the 8y and 16y versions.

N21 P21 F20 B21 Just whisky. Better then 8YO

https://kaypingers-whiskyblog.de/frontend/fullarticle.php?id=359 Colour: gold Nose: Sticky-sweet orange flavors with smoky phenols and sweet honey. Fat notes of BBQ, smoked ham, caramel, brown cane sugar and orange marmalade. It continues with leather, coal, wet ash, wood and more subtly maritime. A pleasant layer of peat remains below ground constant. The flavors here make you want more! Taste: Soft, salty spicy and woody bland with hints of damp earth, herbs, vanilla, peat and wet coal. Always bitter / fader, even slightly diluted and bitter towards the finish. The emerging freshness complements the taste for us even a little appropriate. Finish: Max. Medium long - woody-fresh, bitter-dry and bland. No fruit notes, only partially maritime and accompanied by dry smoke. Pretty one-dimensional finish, which is only polished with peat. Comment: What the nose pretends the rest unfortunately can not hold - too bad! 86 points N: 89P / G: 85P / F: 83P

taste: caraway, herbs, burning grass, surprisingly complex

Scent: vanilla sugar. Mild smoke. Light citrus. Taste: sugar. Vanilla. Aftertaste: long. ash. A little vanilla. Barrel bitter.

Pretty solid. There are interesting tomato-y flavours in here, that are actually pretty tasty. The peat was nice and bonfire-ish, and that hibiscus note really pushed it up a notch for me. When it comes to recommending purchasing this, the problem, of course, is why you would get this instead of the standard Lagavulin 8. They’re definitely different whiskies, but to me, the 8 seems more cohesive and focused. Anyways. I’m thrilled that Diageo decided to present this at 46%. It really helps. Good stuff.

Lagavulin Session https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/124498/lagavulin-09-year-old-house-lannister 84+ https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/140080/lagavulin-12-year-old 89+ https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/132355/lagavulin-2008 88+ https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/75648/lagavulin-islay-jazz-festival-2015 90- https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/191578/islay-south-coast-21-year-old-bw 89- https://www.whiskybase.com/whiskies/whisky/12/lagavulin-25-year-old 94+

Game of Thrones hype or not - this is a technically decent and solid Lagavulin and the 46% vol. honestly do him good. If you give him the chance to develop, he already shows an amazing fullness and regularity for the 9 years.

Aroma：Moderate；Palate：85/100; Aftertaste：Medium.

N- A walk in to a fruit farm at the backyard with abundance of fruits left on the tree dripping with nectar. Smokes just to give the aromas a gentle dress with more mineral shown up. Old damped oak nuance that leave a layer of odd sphere, some liquorice, some melamine and more rust. (87/21) P- Zesty with liquorice, waxy and saline, solid spiciness command over the burst of oaks. Rock candy, dash of rising smokes, but not giving too much. (86/20) F- Medium, lime peel, toasted tea leaf and saline. Ended up shorts and all the ripe fruit nuance sunk into the abyss. (85/19) B/B- 86/20 Cereal- 1, Fruity- 2, Floral- 0, Peaty- 2, Feinty- 1, Sulphur- 0, Woody- 2, Winery- 2, Spicy- 2 Weighted Rate- 80pt — at The Whisky Bar, Kuala Lumpur.

https://kaypingers-whiskyblog.de/frontend/fullarticle.php?id=359 Colour: gold Nose: Sticky-sweet orange flavors with smoky phenols and sweet honey. Fat notes of BBQ, smoked ham, caramel, brown cane sugar and orange marmalade. It continues with leather, coal, wet ash, wood and more subtly maritime. A pleasant layer of peat remains below ground constant. The flavors here make you want more! Taste: Soft, salty spicy and woody bland with hints of damp earth, herbs, vanilla, peat and wet coal. Always bitter / fader, even slightly diluted and bitter towards the finish. The emerging freshness complements the taste for us even a little appropriate. Finish: Max. Medium long - woody-fresh, bitter-dry and bland. No fruit notes, only partially maritime and accompanied by dry smoke. Pretty one-dimensional finish, which is only polished with peat. Comment: What the nose pretends the rest unfortunately can not hold - too bad! 86 points N: 89P / G: 85P / F: 83P

Happy to be surprised after tasting this House Lannister. A nice nose of wood, tobacco, leather and coffee. Feels oily in the mouth. Surprisingly long aftertaste of salty licorice.

Maybe besides the Clynelish and Talisker the best of the GoT whisky range. Longer than the 8 year old but also 25 € more expensive.

Rather simple, lemony-smokey and maybe a tad too sweet, but then, this is young Lagavulin in very decent form, I quite like it. Price and hype about that GoT marketing BS do not count in my rating.

Nose Fruity: oranges, zest, lemon, apricot, peaches, pears. Floral: green leaves, perfume. Palate Bonfire, sea shells, diesel oil. Finish Medium. Texture Oily. Score: 82/100

Ralfy review 774: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8CC9PjK1WY (87/100). "This is one for a more experienced palate and someone who is definitely a peat person."

A very nice Lagavulin. For me, the best of the GOT whiskys.

HONEY MELON! What a blatant Lagavulin. Where does he take these flavors from? Sure the sherry casks are missing to the normal bottlings. BUT where does this violent honeydew melon come from? There is almost no smoke in the nose because of overripe honey melon. Funky ... In the mouth smoke and (wtf !?) peppers lead a wild fight. I only knew paprika from Ardbeg so far. The finish then honey sweet with nice smoke. What a roller coaster ride! This was by far the craziest smoky whisky from Islay Island I've ever had in the glass. What does this have to do with the House Lannister of Game of Thrones? Well, about as much as the last two GoT episodes with logical storyline. Anyway, this Lagavulin is big, crazy cinema - carnival in the glass, so to speak. He certainly deserves 88 points for his uniqueness. As I said, I have not had such crazy things in the glass with a smoky whisky.

Well I am a bit confused... Finally I could try the Lagavulin 9y GoT. My expectations were high, contrary to others and that's my problem now. I won't say this whisky is bad. But not a burner for me either and my expectations of trying a Lagavulin. The smoke is there and as well a very pleasant saltiness but I miss the strong and sweet or earthy peat of the 8, the 12 or the 16 and the 16 Distillers Edition. Maybe this whisky got me at the wrong foot but I really miss something. This whisky doesn't give me what I expect from a Lagavulin. It is still good Whisky yes but in my opinion more like a experiment to try something new. But I will try it again another day because I like Lagavulin

A gentle salty breeze caresses the face. A few drops of vanilla milk on the hollow of the tongue. Then it gets a bit muddy, dusty smoke, fine gravel. This does not prevent the fruits from breaking free, Mirabelle plums, very ripe yellow plums, bananas. All with just enough iodine to give a nice fullness. Palate quite sweet, oily, with some spices and a hint of salt. Cumin, nutmeg, paprika. Grenade. At the bottom, a sandy mire. Nice final; powerful and long, on damp wood, a pinch of cinnamon, cola. Coconut. It is true that this whisky is definitely worth a detour, unlike the others in the same series. https://ilikesky2020.blogspot.com/2022/04/lagavulin-9-yo-house-of-lanister-game.html

Had a sample from it. Not impressed.

68

Smell: Medical, oak, smoked fish, salt, tar, caramel, cinnamon, fresh tobacco leaves, herbs, dust, slightly leathery Taste: Tar, marine vibes, burnt car tire, coal, banana, vanilla, salty caramel, smoked salmon, forest litter, pharmacy, apples baked on a campfire, Good Whisky, you can spend a good time with it, but the price-quality ratio is not the best

To be honest, my expectations weren’t high, although Lagavulin is my fav distillery but I thought this whole series was all about PR and ripping off malt and TV nerds. But I was surprised by the high quality of this stuff! Top notch LG! I think there’s older stuff in that Lannister and I think it comes from heavily charred casks. Cannot understand some remarkably low ratings! I will surely buy some more bottles and I will have to try some of the others GoT. Oban? Talisker? Ahhh Btw I have not watched GoT! Should I perhaps?

I was not expecting much and didn't like the price/age ratio compared to Lagavulin 16: 7 years less though 3% Alc Vol more, which doesn't account for the roughly 20 Euro price difference of the more expensive 9yo. Though having drunk this twice in tastings now, I have to say it derserves its place. In my mind the 16yo creates the image of an olde english club - when the Empire was strong and not in disarray as today - leather arm chairs, a ticking clock on the wall or mantlepiece and the sounds of turned newspaper pages. The 9yo GoT creates an elegant lounge bar on the top floor of a skyscraper with a nice view over the city. The 9yo is much fresher and seems to contain more first and or second fill casks (normally Lagavulin is filled into third fill casks) which bring out more flavour (ok, cask driven) with a peat and smoky note that fits the lounge bar and the dram perfectly. So actually, to me it is worth the price eventhough I think it couldn't have hurt Diageo to knock a few Euros of the price to start with.

21 21 22 21 85 Good, reminiscent of Ardbeg's alligator style, smooth with a long finish.

Too trivial, young, everyday smokeman. "Pitky", quite tasty, with the characteristic features of Lagavulin. The 16-year release, in my opinion, is much more interesting!

I feel like this is more interesting than stellar. Definitely good, possibly great, but more of an interesting one-off in comparison to the standard bottling. Better than expected, nowhere near the 12- or 16-year versions, but a very enjoyable and recommended excursion. In a small way, this feels a bit like a tamed Lagavulin, almost a "12-year Lagavulin Lite..." for a mere 30 american dollars. Can't beat that.

A good lagavulin. Not a monster of complexity, however.

I was not expecting much and didn't like the price/age ratio compared to Lagavulin 16: 7 years less though 3% Alc Vol more, which doesn't account for the roughly 20 Euro price difference of the more expensive 9yo. Though having drunk this twice in tastings now, I have to say it derserves its place. In my mind the 16yo creates the image of an olde english club - when the Empire was strong and not in disarray as today - leather arm chairs, a ticking clock on the wall or mantlepiece and the sounds of turned newspaper pages. The 9yo GoT creates an elegant lounge bar on the top floor of a skyscraper with a nice view over the city. The 9yo is much fresher and seems to contain more first and or second fill casks (normally Lagavulin is filled into third fill casks) and more sherry influence with a peat and smoky note that fits the lounge bar and the dram perfectly. So actually, to me it is worth the price eventhough I think it couldn't have hurt Diageo to knock a few Euros of the price to start with.

I like Lagavulin, and I'm a part of GoT right from the start - it was not a must-have for me, but rather because it's an original Lagavulin age-filled bottleneck that's not known to be a dime a dozen gives. Could have been a "dream ship special edition" because of me (it would have cost me a lot of overcoming, but still ...). Only two words for the price (about 72, -): too expensive. Aside from all the marketing tidbits, the whisky pretty much delivers what you would expect from a nine-year-old Lagavulin with 46% from the Bourbon barrel: neat smoke, not too pleasing, but not too complicated either. As a bonus, he even brings a certain amount of sweetness - with "easy-drinking" probably only for friends of smoky Islay-Malts should apply.

Pretty good commercial whisky. However, no longer for thoughtful tasting, but for pulling. In flavor is meaningful, but with some kind of obsessive chemical note. To taste a little saps (subtilus). Aftertaste more indulgent.

Pretty light, a bit thin, but tasty. It's what you might expect from a 9 year old Lagavulin. Pretty tasty, plenty of fusil elements. No shocks and no surprises. Though it becomes weak and drying with water which shows that there isn't an awful lot to this whisky except peat and drying oak.

S 7 Tasted blind. Post reveal - Surprisingly nice, very well composed given the age. However, as I sip and swirl, it gets more monolithic. Plus, at this price, I’d opt for the staple 16, better matured, with a texture that lasts longer, and a similar price at sales. 81-85 - Another dram welcomed

Powerful, thick, heavy bourbon notes

Nice Laga, starts with a surprising litte peat, which arrives later on in the body. Also some nice fruity and floral influences, with some clear tobacco too. Very pleasant, best one of the 'GoT' series.

Casterly Rock Ah… the Lannisters… those bastards with the sexy queen Cersei; the funny, drunk dwarf Tyrion and the handsome, sword wielding prince Jamie. The Lannisters are top dog in Westeros and it comes as no surprise that Lagavulin is their chosen dram. And one with an age statement to boot! For me, this is my 25th Lagavulin expression. Party time! The nose is quite interesting, to put it mildly. While the smokiness is there, it smells more like molded wood and rotting plant roots than real peat, but it works wonders. Woodsmoke and even a hint of burning plastic. Cow pat in the sun (I know, I know). Wet moss. It has a fruity side too. Think oranges, nectarine and banana, I kid you not! Hint of cinnamon. Tobacco leaves round out this wonderful nose. Good fun! It is wonderfully oily. The sweet notes come first (caramel, marshmellows, red berries, nectarin, mandarin), followed by smoke and soot. Cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Chewing tobacco. Walnuts. Hint of Abroath Smokies. Powerful, even though only 46%. Well done! Wonderfully long finish on sweet peat. A Lannister always pays his debts. And this one too hits all the right spots. Nice Lagavulin! I’m getting me another bottle of this. For me – together with the Talisker – the highlight of this Game of Thrones series!

series of a series not seen, so just to see !!

Young, certainly not very balanced, but perhaps for this reason also funny: a Lagavulin different from the usual, perhaps not excellent but more than enjoyable and cheerfully daredevil.

RATING: 86pts – |83 – 86 (B) → Good| — Not a “must”, but a nice-to-have.

Very good valid expression

Nice, balanced smell, but not too complex. Taste is decent, but a bit thin and doesn't quite live up to what the smell promised. Finish is short-medium. Rating: B- (82-84): 82 [Sample]

Nose The nose begins surprisingly fresh. The smoke is initially quite restrained and much milder than I would have expected from a young Lagavulin. A fine acidity adds vibrancy, accompanied by ash and a touch of charcoal. With a little time, even ripe pineapple emerges, providing a lovely contrast to the smoky notes. Overall, the nose is well-balanced, yet remains rather understated. The taste On the palate, the smoke clearly takes center stage. Salt and pepper complement the initial impression and lend the whisky the expected maritime spice. Despite the robust aromas, the Lagavulin feels somewhat lean. It lacks a bit of depth to leave a lasting impression. However, it's by no means bad. It remains pleasantly drinkable. Conclusion Overall a good whisky, but not a Lagavulin that would tempt me to buy a bottle.

young and unveiled - just looks pretty - I do not need it.

Not a bad whisky, but Lagavulin can be so much more. Both the 8 and the 16 year old are both better and cheaper for example. From nose to finish this feels diluted. Besides that I found apples, iodine, some sweetness and salt. Also nuts and pears. Full review (in german): https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2019/05/20/lannister-vs-greyjoy-lagavulin-vs-talisker/

A mineral peat, a feeling of fresh earth and cold ashes, a sweet side. With the dilution the sweet notes are clarified in milk chocolate. The palate is very dry, mineral too but with a maritime and iodized quite powerful as well as caramel. The finish is quite long, on earth and iodine. The whole experience is reminiscent of some black teas. Complex enough to be interesting but still not in the top of the Lagavulin family basket, a little too austere for me.

What can I say and describe, Lagavulin, this is Lagavulin. You will find everything in this whisky and the power of smoke and fruit and salmon straight from the fisherman's smokehouse, and the whole beautifully and very tasty combined together. You can enjoy it endlessly. For me at the moment it is No. 1 from the entire GOT saga.

Smoke, fruit, chocolate, rather sweet, long finish.

Winner of GoT line, for me between 8 and 16-year-old with a slightly different notes.

Extinguished bonfire with charcoal, vanilla, tobacco leaves, burnt wood and needles. RATING: 86pts - [n22,t21,f22,b21] → |86-89: Remarkable|

Unusual bitterness at taste. I would have expected something more from such a special edition

It's sweet on your nose, you can feel the influence of Bourbon barrels right away because we have a lot of fresh fruit and citrus flavors, plus a nicely composed spring onions, then a little fresh apple. On the tongue, it is sweet and sour, quite alcoholic, then burnt butter, a bit of cocoa notes in the finish, this light ash and sweetness remain Something is missing and the taste of this alcohol is poorly hidden, after returning to it after the classic, the tropics play beautifully on the nose, unfortunately the tongue is not so good anymore 85.5 / 100