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Middle-earth has no shortage of things worth collecting, from swords and rings to maps of distant kingdoms. Whisky too joined the list. The Lord of the Rings, written by English author J. R. R. Tolkien, has inspired two very different spirits. It is a high-fantasy epic and these whiskies have looked to reflect and capture that glory in a bottle. The Lord of the Rings Whisky Collection consists of the Ringbearer Single Malt Whisky, made by New Zealand's Pokeno Whisky Company, and the Green Dragon Whiskey comes from Syzygy Forge's officially licensed Middle-Earth collection. The connection is Tolkien, but the whiskies themselves come from different producers, countries and styles.
The fun connection between Ringbearer Single Malt Whisky and Green Dragon Whiskey bottles is Middle-earth, not their whisky-making origins. Ringbearer is a New Zealand single malt with an unusual four-cask maturation, while Green Dragon is a four-year-old wheated whiskey built around a wheat-heavy mash bill.
Most importantly, Ringbearer Single Malt Whisky and Green Dragon Whiskey should not be presented as coming from the same distillery. Pokeno is the named producer behind Ringbearer, while Syzygy Forge's official Green Dragon page does not identify a separate distillery.
If the One Ring needed its own whisky, the Ringbearer Single Malt Whisky would make a convincing candidate. Made by Pokeno Whisky Company in New Zealand and created in collaboration with Syzygy Forge, the Ringbearer Single Malt is a 25th Anniversary Collector's Edition inspired by Middle-earth. It is bottled at 46% ABV in a 700ml bottle and fully matured in four cask types: first-fill bourbon, virgin oak, Muscat and manuka honey casks. Together, they give the New Zealand single malt a layered profile built around fruit, sweetness and spice.
Then there is the Green Dragon Wheated Whiskey, inspired by the famous inn of the Shire. Unlike Ringbearer, it is a four-year-old wheated whiskey from Syzygy Forge's officially licensed The Lord of the Rings collection.
The whiskey has a mash bill of 58% wheat, 38% corn, and 4% barley and is bottled at 45% ABV in a 750ml bottle. Syzygy Forge describes it as smooth, rich, and full-bodied, balancing sweetness and spice. The presentation also leans into the collectible side of the release, with a hand-applied linen label and hand-dipped wax top.
For Tolkien fans, Ringbearer Single Malt Whisky and Green Dragon Whiskey offer two very different routes into the same fictional world. Ringbearer feels like the bottle for setting off on the quest; Green Dragon feels like the dram waiting at the inn when the journey is over. That should be a good enough reason for you to make room in your whisky cabinet for one, if not both.
Where to buy Ringbearer Single Malt Whisky and Green Dragon Whiskey bottles? Well, they are not not officially available or distributed in India. New Zealand, Australia and the US are the markets to get these whiskies. You could try e-mailing directly to contact@pokenowhisky.co.nz.
