Listen, we all know I’m a sucker for nerd culture. Just look at my Funko obsession. That predilection carries over to my alcohol consumption as well. You slap some nerd or pop culture theme on something and I’m more likely to buy it.

Case in point: Oban’s The Night’s Watch Oban Bay Reserve, which is part of the Game of Thrones series of whiskeys they have done. It’s not the only one I have purchased from that series. More on that at a later day.

HBO teamed up with liquor super giant Diageo to create eight scotches, each paired with a royal house from the uber hit TV show.

Oban Distillery sits in the shadow of a steep cliff between the west Highlands and the Islands of Scotland. So yeah, it seems like a good call for the men of Castle Black.

The Night’s Watch whiskey pours a golden hue from the dark black bottle, pimped out with a dark black label as well to play on the theme, complete with the Night’s Watch oath. It doesn’t have an age statement, but I would guess a younger scotch. My best guess would put it just shy of 9 years or so. A little orange on the nose, then caramel and a slight spice on the taste. Not much smoke to it at all like you would get from a Islay scotch.

This one doesn’t hold up to a Lagavulin or the like, but it is not designed to. It is half the price, even with the GOT marketing markup.

Rating: 88.

Whiskey Ratings

93: Lagavulin 11 Offerman Edition
92: Jefferson’s Reserve Very Old.
90: High West Campfire, Few Rye, Knob Creek Small Batch 100
89: Old Forester Rye
88: Buffalo Trace, Oban Night’s Watch
87: Breckenridge Bourbon
85: Wolfburn Aurora
83: Buchanan’s Deluxe 12

Gin Ratings

88: Dogfish Head Compelling Gin