Lost Lantern American Vatted Malt Reissue

This special fifth-anniversary re-release of Lost Lantern’s very first whiskey is one of the first American single-malt blends ever created. Created collaboratively by Lost Lantern and the makers of six of the best American single malts from across the country, it captures the depth and range of American single malt in a single bottle. Unchanged from its original release, this limited reintroduction is a glimpse at the origins of American single malt, one of the most exciting new whiskey styles anywhere in the world, and the first new officially recognized style of American whiskey in decades.

Components: Balcones, Copperworks, Santa Fe, Triple Eight, Virginia, Westward

Nose: Honeyed malt rises first, soft but focused. Behind it sit apples, tangerines, overripe orchard fruit, and toasted honey, stitched together with Demerara sugar, vanilla, and gentle sandalwood spice. Light woodsmoke, green oak, and a flicker of pencil shavings keep the sweetness lively instead of cloying.

Palate: First sip lands broad and silky. Baking spices, molasses cookies, scorched caramel, and malt biscuits roll across the tongue with raisins, stone fruit, and honeyed breakfast-cereal grain. Milk chocolate, toasted oak, and a mild earthy smoke pull everything together, leaving a satisfying, slightly dry chew at mid-palate.

Finish: The finish doesn’t hurry at all. Vanilla cream, milk chocolate, and barley sweetness glide into ginger heat, black pepper, tobacco leaf, and earthy smoke that hangs at the edges. Hints of orange zest, lemon peel, honey, and dry grain trail off slowly, like the last embers in a backyard fire pit.

Rich, malty character loves savory food. Serve it with herb-roasted chicken or pork chops topped with apple-chutney, where the orchard fruit and baking spice tuck into the pan drippings.

Mushroom risotto with Parmesan brings out the earthier smokiness, toasted grains, and umami depth that lie beneath the sweeter top notes.

It behaves beautifully on a cheeseboard. Aged Gouda, nutty Alpine cheese, and smoked cheddar echo the malt, caramel, and faint smoke while the salt crystals sharpen each sip.

For dessert, try butter pecan ice cream or a simple almond tart to underline the toasted nuts, honey, and milk-chocolate softness in the finish.