ctbeck11
Lost Lantern American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1
Blended Malt — USA
Reviewed
March 18, 2021 (edited October 19, 2021)
Nose - salted caramel, sweet floral notes, apple, peach, honey, yeast, plum, cocoa, vanilla, black pepper, clove, dry oak, grass, clay, subtle peat, cereal grain, moderate to high ethanol burn.
Taste - sweet caramel, honey, green apple, orange blossom, clove, floral notes, citrus zest, black pepper, ginger, mint, plum, cereal grain, peach, spicy oak, light smoke, moderate to high alcohol bite, finishing medium length with caramel, citrus zest, sweet floral, and spicy oak flavors.
This offering is a great testament to the quality of American single malts. I agree with Jon’s assessment that it reads like a Speyside, one that’s been very mildly peated. It’s not as powerful and funky as a Benromach or Craigellachie, but maybe more like a Balvenie or a high quality Glenlivet. The palate hits with a rich caramel sweetness, balanced by nice floral, tart fruit, spice, and smoke notes. It’s deep and rich but also light and fruity.
Overall, this is really good and rivals my favorite American single malts. I’m kicking around the idea of purchasing a bottle, but the $120 price tag seems a bit steep. This concludes my Lost Lantern tasting series. I really like what the company is doing and have subscribed to their newsletter, so I’m informed when they drop new releases. My favorite is definitely the Ironroot Republic single cask corn whiskey, but this is not too far behind. Another big thank you to @jonwilkinson7309 for providing all the Lost Lantern samples. This is a company worth following. Next, I’ll be heading back to Scotland to review a set of popular Glenmorangie offerings.
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@jonwilkinson7309 @PBMichiganWolverine In related news, my prayers were answered and another small allotment of their fantastic Ironroot corn whiskey single cask from last year was released today. I immediately snapped up a bottle. Not missing out on it a second time. Again, I’m sure I’m guilty of overrating Texas whiskies, but in my mind this one is an absolute stunner at $108 a bottle. Link in case anyone is interested: https://seelbachs.com/collections/lost-lantern-whiskey/products/ironroot-republic-straight-corn-whiskey?mc_cid=c698080b4c&mc_eid=ad82a36ecc
@PBMichiganWolverine LL can be pricey, but I have yet to be disappointed with any of their barrel selections, which is definitely not something I can say about a number of store picks and independent bottler offerings I've purchased. So at least (knock on wood) I feel like I can spend that kind of money with confidence.
@PBMichiganWolverine Definitely agree that there’s not a lot of value to be found with Lost Lantern in general. However, I’ve paid much more for whiskey I’ve liked much less. This particular release was not my favorite, but some of their single cask releases were outstanding, specifically the Ironroot and Balcones bottlings. But take that with a grain of salt coming from me. I should probably change my Distiller profile description to ‘I overrate Texas whiskey.’ I looked at my data recently and of the 11/403 spirits I’ve rated a 4.5 or higher, 7 of them are young Texas whiskies. Yea, I really like Texas whiskey.
@ctbeck11 @jonwilkinson7309 my only bone to pick with them is the price. Most are $100 or so, for relatively young whiskey.
@jonwilkinson7309 Always happy to drink good whiskey. Thanks again! I would have likely never heard of Lost Lantern if not for you, and I found a brand new way to spend my money (whenever their next set of bottlings are released).
Thanks for all of the reviews! It's been great getting your take on each.