Blogpost: Talisker Game of Thrones House Greyjoy

Posted by T • April 27, 2019

Posted by T • April 27, 2019

Water of Life

Talisker Select Reserve Game of Thrones House Greyjoy

Ah, Game of Thrones and the hype around it. Claiming that the series, spin offs and everything that comes with it is omnipresent would be an understatement par excellence. Full disclosure: Your humble narrator has never seen a single episode of the show.

Yet what I harbour deep inside is a deep appreciation for the liquid emissions that emerge from the Talisker Distillery, so needless to say that the announcement of the Select Reserve Game Of Thrones House Greyjoy got me mildly excited and warranted me doing a bit of research as to the alignment of the whisky, its presentation and why it is associated with what is portrayed in the series about House Greyjoy.

Turns out that what I learned about the location of House Greyjoy and its surround und aligns well with the DNA of what Talisker has become known for: Distilled on the remote and rugged shores of the Isle of Skye, the maritime sea spray character of Talisker Select Reserve, which is embedded in a smoke frame that is less on the nose and more on the subtle side without lacking both sweet and spicy nuances and imagining this to be the drink of choice on the series’ Iron Island does not necessitate a whole lot imagination.

While the amber coloured drop was matured in heavily charred ex-Bourbon casks, what materializes on the nose suggests that there were some ex-Sherry casks thrown in for good measure as apart from smokiness pervaded by peppery hints, there are hints of fruits, oranges, saline notes, faint vanilla and charcoal.

When it hits the palate, it unfolds a viscous melange of salt, caramel, dark chocolate, Asian herbs, delicately burnt leather and seamlessly transitions into an elongated complex dry finish that balances a fruity full-bodied character with warm smoke.

Needless to say that it comes adorned with House of Greyjoy themed artwork, with the beautifully illustrated trademark Kraken taking centerstage on the tin.

Now, this is without a question a formidable collaboration that not only present another premium expression that fits the high standard of the benchmark that has been consistently upped by Talisker – and one that intrigues me enough to find out more about the House of Greyjoy that it is a tribute to.

Given the quality of this release, I can hardly wait to find out firsthand if the other distilleries that form part of the Game of Thrones editions are of an equal standard, most prominently the contribution of Lagavulin.

---

Photo by T

T • April 27, 2019

More recent blogposts

PJ Harvey @ Sydney Opera House Forecourt

Posted by T • March 14, 2025

PJ Harvey Sydney Opera House Forecourt 13 March 2025 Sydney, Australia photo courtesy of Daniel Boud and the Sydney Opera House.Caption Some artists perform. PJ Harvey transmutes. Like a figure walking between worlds, she never lingers too long in one place, never allows herself to fossilize into nostalgia. Instead, she reinvents - without ever severing the thread that binds her … Read more

The Get Up Kids/Ozma @ The Glass House 3/7/25

Posted by Aaron H • March 14, 2025

The Get Up Kids - Credit: AMH The Get Up Kids just finished the US leg of their 25th Anniversary Tour for their seminal album, Something To Write Home About with 2 nights at The Glass House in Pomona. Of course, I didn't wanna miss it. Following support from Indie-Rock band, Ozma -- who ran through tracks from their first … Read more

Chat Pile/Gouge Away @ The Glass House 2/22/25

Posted by Aaron H • March 4, 2025

Chat Pile Fans - Credit: AMH Chat Pile are about to wrap up their US West Coast and Canada tour with Gouge Away this week. I was fortunate enough to catch the sludgy rockers when they came through Pomona last week. Nightosphere - Credit: AMH Kansas City's Nightosphere has opened the shows every night. The trio's unique blend of shoegaze … Read more

Cursive/Pile @ The Glass House 2/14/25

Posted by Aaron H • February 18, 2025

Cursive - Photo Credit: AMH In a time of a lot of bullshit going on, spending Valentine's Day with my wife and Cursive at my favorite venue was a great escape. Cursive are out on the road in support of their newest album, Devourer, with support from Boston-Rock quartet, Pile. I hadn't previously heard of Pile and was surprised to … Read more

Luke Combs @ Accor Stadium

Posted by T • February 2, 2025

Luke Combs 01 February 2025 Accor Stadium Sydney, Australia On a balmy February evening in Sydney, country music fans from across NSW flocked to Accor Stadium for what promised to be a historic night. Luke Combs, the global superstar who has redefined modern country music, made history as the first country artist to headline a full stadium tour in Australia … Read more

Wardruna @ Enmore Theatre

Posted by T • January 28, 2025

Wardruna 25 January 2025 Enmore Theatre Sydney, Australia photo courtesy of Wardruna In the humid haze of a Sydney summer evening, the Enmore Theatre became a portal to another realm, a sacred space where time and place blurred. On January 25, 2025, Wardruna delivered a transcendent performance that not only captivated but transported its audience into the heart of Nordic … Read more

Best of 2024 Playlist

Posted by Loren • January 23, 2025

Sometimes I get all introspective and ask myself why I do this. Not very often, but the answer is always because I like music. It's that simple. I like to discover new stuff and I like to share it. Every year, the staff at Scene Point Blank sink a ton of time into 3 big Year End features. Part of … Read more

Lung @ Lee's Palace

Posted by Mirela Z. • December 10, 2024

Lung @ Lee's Palace Toronto, ON Canada November 19, 2024 Have you ever heard a distorted electric cello, with intense vocals and heavy drum beats? Powerhouse duo, cellist Kate Wakefield and drummer Daisy Caplan, are not to be underestimated! Seeing them for the first time perform live has left me wanting more! Read more

Better Lovers @ The Observatory 11/30/24

Posted by Aaron H • December 5, 2024

Better Lovers: Photo Credit - AMH Better Lovers are making the rounds again, this time with a new full-length LP, Highly Irresponsible, released earlier this Fall. The hardcore mash-up of ex-Dillinger Escape Plan and ex-Every Time I Die members recently brought their show to So-Cal, and I had the pleasure of seeing how things have been going since last year. … Read more

Rise Against/LSDunes/Cloud Nothings @ HOB 11/20/24

Posted by Aaron H • November 28, 2024

Rise Against Fans - Photo Credit: AMH Rise Against decided to hit the road this past fall and brought along L.S. Dunes. Depending on your city, different acts opened the show. Cleveland, Ohio's Cloud Nothings covered the crowd warm-up duties on their run through California. With a bill this stacked, I didn't want to miss it. Cloud Nothings - Photo … Read more

Advertisement

DCxPC 2025