PLEASING PROFESSIONAL PALATES
We like whiskey reviewers. After all, Adam used to be one. And we’re thrilled that so many whiskey reviewers – professional journalists, whiskey bloggers, influencers, and even just regular fans – have loved our whiskies. Take a look at what they’ve been saying.
#BESTWHISKEYEVER
“I was filled with appreciation for the vast corners of the country that this whiskey represents, and the care that went into creating this new and exciting product. I would proudly place this bottle on my mantle and share with friends anytime of the year.”
JERRY JENAE SAMPSON // THE WHISKEY WASH
“There’s a sense of something special here that’s saying loudly to the world that American single malts are something to be reckoned with, even the peated ones. This can easily stand up to the best from Islay, the Islands, or the Highlands of Scotland and maybe even beat them out.”
ZACH JOHNSTON // UPROXX
“It’s not too often we come across a rye that drinks like Stagg Jr., yet Lost Lantern’s single barrel pick of a 5-year-old Dad’s Hat rye packs a comparable punch.”
ERIC HASMAN // BREAKING BOURBON
REVIEWS & SCORES
InsideHook — Review: Lost Lantern Is Pushing the Boundaries of American Whiskey
What we’re drinking: The latest single cask collection from independent bottlers Lost Lantern, including collaborative releases with craft distillers Smooth Ambler (West Virginia), Westward Whiskey (Oregon), Frey Ranch (Nevada) and Spirit Works (California).
Bourbon & Banter — Lost Lantern American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1 Review
I have made no secret of my love for independent bottlers and recently wrote an article for Bourbon & Banter where I lamented the fact that no one is doing with American whiskies what independent bottlers are able to do with Scotches. Just a few months later, a sample of Lost Lantern, Edition 1 appeared on my doorstep. I want to open this review with an admission: I really wanted to like this.
And I did.
Breaking Bourbon — Review: Single Cask #8 Balcones Distilling
Having had many whiskeys from Balcones Distillery, I wasn’t sure what Lost Lantern Single Cask #8 was going to offer me. Why involve a second party and not just get it from the horse’s mouth? It became clear rather quickly that there is value in curation. Single Cask #8 is incredibly bold and rich with its wealth of dark and roasted flavors and a deep barrel char. This is a dark bourbon both in color and taste.
Drinkhacker — Review: Lost Lantern American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1
What do you get when you put a former Whisky Advocate writer and an Astor Wine & Spirits sales manager together? Why, a blend of American single malt whiskies all vatted together and released as a wildly unique experience.
InsideHook — Review: Sourced From All Over the US, Lost Lantern Is a Whiskey Nerd’s Dream
Founded by Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski and launched last fall — delayed from an April 2020 start because of you-know-what — Lost Lantern is an independent bottler of American whiskey.
“We source different casks and single malts from around the country,” explains Polonski, a former whiskey journalist. “This model has existed in Scotland for 200 years. It’s a great discovery method.”
The idea here is Lost Lantern is not only shining a light on smaller, regional distilleries, but also getting that whiskey out to a larger swath of the country. As well, these releases are specifically designed for whiskey connessours — they’re non-chill filtered and cask strength.
Paste — Lost Lantern American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1 Review
The U.S. whiskey scene is by no means hurting for a lack of independent bottlers and non-distiller producers (NDPs). In fact, it often feels like the sheer number of little boutique bottling operations is beginning to exceed the number that could reasonably be maintained, especially with so many of them drawing on the same handful of companies for sourced whiskey, such as MGP of Indiana, Jim Beam, or Heaven Hill. But every now and then, you do come across a concept that is something truly and utterly new. And Lost Lantern is doing something unmistakably new in American whiskey.
The Whiskey Wash — “Whiskey Review: Lost Lantern American Vatted Malt Edition No. 1”
American whiskey distilling is not typically a collaborative process. It often seems the top brands are always vying to keep their reputation tip-top and growing. For independent bottlers – companies that buy casks of whisky directly from distilleries – the risk of putting other names on the label is worth the reward to creating a diverse flavor profile.
WhiskyCast — Review: LOST LANTERN AMERICAN VATTED MALT EDITION NO. 1
Blended malts have been commonplace in Scotch Whisky for a long time, but this whisky is one of the first to blend single malts from American distilleries. Distillers from Balcones, Copperworks, Santa Fe Spirits, Triple Eight, Westward, and the Virginia Distillery Company collaborated with Lost Lantern founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski to create this whiskey. The nose has notes of chocolate-covered cherries, a hint of orange peel, barley sugar maltiness, and a touch of charred oak. The taste is dominated by good spices with barley sugar underneath and hints of chocolate, tree fruits, and oak. The finish is long and warm with lingering spices, salted caramel, and chocolate. Very nice!
Wine Enthusiast — Review: Lost Lantern Santa Fe Spirits New Mexico Single Malt 2020 Single Cask #1
This is a mesquite-smoked single malt made at 7,000 feet above sea level. The aroma shows vanilla cream, peaches and pineapple. These bold flavors echo on the palate: lemon cream, tropical fruit, vanilla and plenty of cinnamon sting, plus a smoky barbecue hint, leading into a brisk, zippy finish.
Cigar & Spirits — Fall Spirits Buyer’s Guide
A first of its kind from the United States -Lost Lantern has produced a 12-barrel blend of hand selected single malt whiskies from six distilleries across the country. This is a unique blend of extraordinary flavors – a sophisticated palate pleaser.
