Oban Bay Reserve The Night's Watch Game of Thrones Limited Edition Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky 750ml

Oban Bay Reserve "The Night's Watch" is the Game of Thrones limited edition release from the legendary Oban Distillery, founded in 1794 by brothers John and Hugh Stevenson on the West Highland coast of Scotland and one of the smallest, oldest, and most beloved working distilleries in the country. Part of an eight bottle collaboration between Diageo and HBO unveiled in fall 2018 to commemorate the eighth and final season of HBO's Game of Thrones, each release in the series was matched to a great House or institution of Westeros based on the character of the contributing distillery. Oban was selected to represent The Night's Watch, the ancient brotherhood sworn to defend the realm from beyond the Wall, with the Oban Distillery's geographic position (sitting beneath a steep cliff on the frontier between the West Highlands and the Islands of Scotland) paralleling Castle Black's position on the boundary between Westeros and the wild lands beyond The Wall. Bottled at 43% ABV from a combination of refill and double charred ex bourbon casks plus European oak, this no age statement Highland single malt delivers a rich, fruit forward, gently spicy expression with the classic Oban signature of West Highland Island fusion, the right warming character to keep even a frozen Brother of the Watch through the long winter. The striking dark bottle features the Night's Watch oath embossed on the front and was produced for a single allocation across the 2018 to 2019 Game of Thrones cycle and never repeated.

ABV / Proof

Tasting Notes

Color: Bright amber with rich gold highlights.

Nose: Straw, hay, tangy savory cereal notes, fresh squeezed orange, apricot, plum, floral tea, toasted oak, walnuts, barrel char, saline, and a wisp of campfire smoke before mellowing to cocoa and Morello cherries.

Palate: Light to moderate body, sweet and malty, with cherry pie, candied orange peel, dried dark fruits, marzipan, heather, lavender, black tea, baking spices, vanilla, mild oak tannin, barrel char, and light smoke.

Finish: Long and rich, with crème caramel, charred oak, creamy vanilla, citrus peel zest, nutmeg, woody spicy dryness, and a lasting West Highland warmth.

FAQ

Why Oban for The Night's Watch? Oban Distillery sits at the foot of a steep cliff on the western coast of Scotland, in a location that geographically straddles the frontier between the West Highlands and the Islands. Diageo and HBO felt this borderland position perfectly mirrored Castle Black, the ancient home of The Night's Watch, which sits at the boundary between the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros and the wild lands beyond The Wall. The whisky's classic West Highland character (a fusion of mainland Highland and coastal Island styles) was selected to evoke the steadfast resilience of the sworn brothers who guard the realms of men.

How rare is this bottle? Strictly limited. The complete eight bottle Game of Thrones Single Malt Collection was produced once, with original allocations released across 2018 and 2019 to coincide with the show's final season. Once allocations sold through, the series was permanently discontinued. The Oban Bay Reserve Night's Watch was reportedly the most difficult of the eight to obtain at release, with many bottles selling out within hours of arriving on shelves. Sealed bottles with the original collectible black presentation tube command particular premium on the secondary market.

What was the full Game of Thrones series? The eight bottle collection paired Diageo's single malt portfolio with great Houses and institutions of Westeros: Cardhu Gold Reserve (House Targaryen), Royal Lochnagar 12 Year (House Baratheon), Lagavulin 9 Year (House Lannister), Dalwhinnie Winter's Frost (House Stark), Talisker Select Reserve (House Greyjoy), Clynelish Reserve (House Tyrell), Singleton of Glendullan Select (House Tully), and this Oban Bay Reserve (The Night's Watch). A separate ninth bottle, Mortlach 15 Year Six Kingdoms, was released in 2020 to commemorate the show's finale.

What is Oban Bay Reserve? Oban Bay Reserve is a Diageo single malt expression that exists primarily within the Game of Thrones limited edition framework. The whisky is produced at Oban Distillery from a blend of refill and double charred ex bourbon casks plus European oak, delivering Oban's characteristic West Highland flavor profile in a no age statement format. While Oban Bay Reserve has appeared in some markets outside the Game of Thrones context, the Night's Watch labeled bottling is the most widely recognized and most collected version of the expression.

Where can I buy Oban Bay Reserve Night's Watch online? Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide. Each year since release this bottle has become harder to source at retail, and sealed bottles in the original presentation tube are increasingly scarce.