Summer of Bourbon Road Trip: Lost Lantern Boulder Bourbon Single Cask
We are gearing up for the release of the Lost Lantern Summer of Bourbon Collection on July 26th. This special collection shows that great bourbon comes from all across the United States. To kick things off, we’re launching a virtual road trip feature to introduce you to each of the distilleries in the Collection and help get you in the mood for their whiskies. Today’s stop: Boulder Spirits in Boulder, Colorado and our Lost Lantern Boulder single cask, our second bourbon from the distillery!
Boulder Spirits Distillery Overview
Our Lost Lantern Boulder Spirits single cask comes from Boulder Spirits in Colorado. Also known as Vapor Distillery, Boulder was founded by Scotsman Alastair Brogan, who has brought Scottish whisky making traditions to the high peaks of the Colorado Rockies. This dry, high-elevation environment makes for bold and unique spirits.
Boulder Spirits is probably best known for its American single malt, made on a traditional Scottish Forsyths pot still–one of relatively few in the United States. And the distillery brings its single malt heritage to bourbon as well: Boulder’s bourbon is made with a very unusual mashbill with a very high malt content, nearly as much malt as corn. This creates a bourbon with a structure and texture that shares a lot in common with single malt. While their single malts are very recognizably single malts, and their bourbon is very recognizably bourbon, we’ve found that their whiskies have great crossover appeal: a way for bourbon lovers to start exploring the malt world, and for malt lovers to explore a new style of bourbon.
Lost Lantern Boulder Bourbon Single Cask Details
For the Summer of Bourbon Collection, we’re launching a Lost Lantern Boulder Bourbon single cask that was aged for a full six years in a 53-gallon barrel in the high elevation of the Rockies. This Colorado straight bourbon whiskey was made from an unusual high-malt mashbill (51% corn, 44% malted barley, and 5% rye) that adds great heft and a hearty texture. It has a very rich nose, with notes of dark chocolate and warm apple strudel. It is warm, spicy, and sweet on the palate, with a very long finish.
This is an older and bolder follow-up to our first Boulder Spirits bourbon single cask, which scored 98 points in Wine Enthusiast–their top rated bourbon of 2022. It is exactly what we love to look for in bourbons that come from very different parts of the country than Kentucky: bourbon that really has something to say, that is distinctly different from what comes from elsewhere, with a unique perspective. And of course, an amazing and intense flavor.
Lost Lantern Boulder Bourbon Cocktail Recipe: Where’d All The Time Go
For our single cask bourbons this summer I wanted to explore the original cocktail. What we now know as the old fashioned used to just be called “An {insert spirit here} cocktail.” Spirit, sugar, bitters. That’s it. Some time in the 1870’s people started to order more complicated cocktails and sooner or later someone got fed up with the extra stuff and said, “Give me a cocktail, you know the old-fashioned kind.” All we have to do is tweak one of those basic ingredients and we’ve got a whole new, old-fashioned to explore.
The old fashioned we are making for the Lost Lantern Boulder Spirits single barrel perhaps stretches the definition of an old fashioned a bit. I mean, it is all there still: Spirit. Bitter. Sweetener. It’s just maybe a bit different shape than what you are expecting. High altitude aging in Boulder means we’ve got a bourbon here that packs quite a punch. As such, we thought we’d lengthen the traditionally short, old fashioned while keeping true to the simplicity of the form. Our bitterness here comes from black tea and the sweetness from fresh summer peaches. The combination of bourbon, tea and peaches is pretty undeniable. Brew your tea ahead of time so you can chill before making your cocktail and make sure you aren’t over-steeping, we want bitter, not astringent. Any black tea that is good for iced tea or for breakfast will work here.
Boulder Old Fashioned Cocktail Instructions: Where’d All The Time Go
1 oz Lost Lantern Boulder Spirits Single Cask
.75 oz peach puree or fresh cut and muddled peaches
4 oz strong unsweetened black tea
- In a cocktail shaker mix ingredients with ice and shake thoroughly.
- Double strain into a tall glass over ice, garnish with a lemon wedge and a straw.
-Drew Record, California State Manager
Lost Lantern Boulder Bourbon Food Pairing
BOOZY SHALLOT COMPOUND BUTTER with GRILLED STEAK
This Boozy Shallot Compound Butter is made using our Lost Lantern Boulder Spirits Single Cask Bourbon. The compound butter is bold and luxurious, just like the bourbon! Did you know that compound butter is incredibly easy to make? You can even make it well in advance! It can be used for so many things, like slathering on fresh bread, adding to vegetables OR like we’ve done here, for finishing grilled steak! Medium-rare if you’re making it for me! Want even more variety? Feel free to add your favorite fresh herbs to the butter, just remember to finely chop them!
BOOZY SHALLOT COMPOUND BUTTER with GRILLED STEAK
Yield: 8 tablespoons
Time: 5 minutes prep, 2 hours chill time
Ingredients:
1 stick unsalted butter – room temperature
1 small shallot – minced
1 teaspoon Lost Lantern Boulder Spirits Colorado Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Kosher salt to taste
Black Pepper to taste
Steak
Directions:
- In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients.
- Spoon mixture onto a piece of cooking parchment paper. Fold parchment over butter. Roll to create a log shape. Twist ends of parchment to seal. Trim ends of parchment if necessary.
- Refrigerate until firm, approximately 3 hours. To serve, slice into “coins”.
- Grill steak to your taste preference. While the steak is resting, place a compound butter “coin” on top of the steak.
-Paula Jones, Marketing and Brand Manager
Lost Lantern Boulder Music Pairing
What road trip, virtual or otherwise, would be complete without a playlist? California state manager Drew Record has curated a unique listening experience for your next trip to Boulder… whether you’re popping over from Denver or crossing the Rockies from the West, or making your way West across the Great Plains, or just through a glass of whiskey in the comfort of your own home. Enjoy!
