Johnnie Walker, a brand of Norwalk, Conn.-based Diageo North America, and HBO Licensing & Retail announced they are introducing two new Scotch whiskies to the realm in honor of the enduring legacy of HBO’s series “Game of Thrones.”
A continued collaboration with HBO, the limited-edition whisky blends are inspired by the fictional houses of Westeros — House Stark and House Targaryen — and are successors to the White Walker by Johnnie Walker limited-edition blend that launched in 2018.
From House Stark comes A Song of Ice and from House Targaryen comes A Song of Fire. Together, the two whiskies celebrate the dynamic relationship between the houses, represented by their house sigils — the Direwolf and the Dragon — which adorn each bottle, according to the company. As another nod to the complicated interactions between the two houses in the show's storyline, Johnnie Walker's Striding Man uncharacteristically faces backwards on the A Song of Fire bottle, revealing a face-off with the Striding Man on the A Song of Ice bottle when paired side-by-side, it adds.
"Johnnie Walker and ‘Game of Thrones’ are an epic pairing,” said Sophie Kelly, senior vice president of whiskies at Diageo North America, in a statement. “There is as much for people to discover and explore within the world of whisky as there is within the world of the show. Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice and A Song of Fire perfectly capture the essence of House Stark and House Targaryen, from the bottle designs to the unique Scotch whiskies within. Each new blend brings to life a different profile of flavors — one crisp and clean, the other rich and spicy. We hope people enjoy trying both while reliving the series with friends."
Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice features single malts from Clynelish, one of Scotland's most northern distilleries, and exudes a crisp, clean taste, the company says. The new blend features a 40.2 percent alcohol-by-volume content and the bottle design evokes an icy setting with frosted blue and gray colors inspired by the North, known for its cold winters and frozen landscapes, it adds.
Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire is rich and spicy, boasting flavors of subtle smoke from the peated malts of the Caol Ila distillery and features a 40.8 percent alcohol-by-volume content, according to the company. Inspired by the dragons of House Targaryen, feared for their fire breathing, the bottle design evokes a fiery setting with deep-red colors, it adds.
"We were very proud to partner with Johnnie Walker again to bring more whiskies to the realm,” said Jeff Peters, vice president of licensing and retail at HBO, in a statement. “‘The Game of Thrones’ audience continues to both engage with the culture fostered around the series and look for the special collectibles that let it live on. After seeing the excitement there was for White Walker by Johnnie Walker, we are thrilled to celebrate the end of an epic tale by offering more quality whisky for fans of the show and whisky enthusiasts to collect and enjoy.”
Johnnie Walker A Song of Ice and Johnnie Walker A Song of Fire will be available nationwide beginning this month for a suggested retail price of $36 for a 750-ml bottle, while supplies last.
