Lost Lantern 10 Year Old McCarthy's Peated Oregon Single Cask Single Malt

Lost Lantern hand-selected this cask of McCarthy’s American single malt from Clear Creek distillery in Hood River, Oregon. McCarthy’s is the first American single malt, and the first one we fell in love with. Clear Creek has now made this exceptional peated American single malt for over three decades. We are honored to present the first-ever ten-year-old McCarthy’s single cask. Made from heavily peated malt, it was aged for ten years in a 400-liter fourth-fill Oregon (Garryana) oak cask. It has herbal, inky smoke on the nose, with hints of blueberries and black raspberries. The palate is dark and smoky, with notes of leather, oak, and campfire smoke. Very smoky, with tremendous depth.

Nose: Smoke leads, but it’s detailed.
Herbal, inky peat, and campfire ash rise with dried blueberries, black raspberries, wet stone, and a streak of cinnamon toast over damp earth. Hints of honey, grilled lemon peel, and dark forest underbrush drift in later, giving the nose a moody, coastal-depth character.

Palate: Power shows up, then settles into flavor.
Blackberry, raisin, and white peach fold into seasoned Oregon oak, dark chocolate, leather, and char, riding a steady wave of herbal peat. There’s a savory edge too, with campfire smoke, black pepper, and butterscotch pulling the sweetness back toward something richer and more grown-in.

Finish: The finish keeps you in the smoke.
Peat, campfire embers, and toasted oak stretch out with butterscotch, vanilla, leather, and white peppercorn buzzing along the edges. Long after swallowing, dark berries, ash, and faint honey cling to the palate, leaving a slow, smoldering echo rather than a sharp goodbye.

Big, peaty malt thrives next to char.
Serve it with smoked brisket or grilled short ribs; the herbal smoke, leather, and dark fruit lock into the bark and render the fat.

For something slightly lighter, go coastal.
Charred salmon, roasted fennel, and olive-oil potatoes mirror the campfire smoke while the citrus and honey tuck into the fish’s richness.

On a board, think bold and salty.
Aged Gouda, blue cheese, smoked almonds, and dark chocolate with sea salt all underline the whisky’s peat, oak, and berry depth.