Neat. Neck pour. I am a fan of the Lost Monarch as a great budget bourbon-rye blend. Found this old bottle of batch 1 (dated 2017) and grabbed it out of curiosity. On the nose, I get bubble gum... never a good sign when it leads with bubble gum for me. Ripe red fruits, raspberries actually. Cinnamon and grass that has been drying in the sun. Baking spices. Struggling in this nose a bit... Nice creamy mouth feel. Those raspberries dominate the tongue. The port finish really shines here. That is actually really nice and crisp. That actually might be my favorite port note. Vanilla and a hint of that grass shine brightly on the legs. Man, that port note is impression even in subsequent sips. Like biting into the juiciest fruit, it just gushes. Saves the entire experience. This is a muddled blend. Comes across young and odd with that bubble gum note on the nose, but the port on the taste is yummy. This is well below the Lost Monarch but it’s fun to see where they started and how they have grown.