With the release of their Fall 2024 Collection, Vergennes, Vermont-based Lost Lantern is making a statement, challenging the misconception that whiskey from newer American distilleries is always young.
The new collection, featuring a 10-year-old bourbon, two 10-year-old ryes, and a nearly 10-year-old American single malt, highlights distilleries that have invested in long-term aging. These are the oldest whiskies Lost Lantern has ever released, and in some cases, the oldest ever from these distilleries.
Lost Lantern co-founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski want to emphasize that new American distilleries have come of age. “As more American distilleries reach new milestones, whiskey lovers will see a greater variety of age statements, proving that age and quality come from intentional craftsmanship, not just tradition,” explains Polonski. “The whiskies in this collection honor distilleries that have demonstrated patience and dedication. After all, there’s only one way for a distillery to end up with a 10-year-old whiskey they made themselves: make it, and wait ten years.”
The Lost Lantern Fall 2024 10 Year Collection will be available starting Nov. 7 at LostLanternWhiskey.com and Seelbachs.com, at select retailers in California and Massachusetts, and in the Lost Lantern Tasting Room in Vergennes, Vermont.
Each release is presented at natural cask strength, non-chill-filtered, and with no color added. Bottles are priced at $150 each.
Westland Peated American Single Malt 9.99 Years Old Single Cask: 109.8 Proof (185 bottles)
A transformative voice in single malt, Westland Distillery in Seattle is at the forefront of creating whiskey that truly reflects where it’s made. This single cask was made from malted barley heavily peated with Scottish peat and aged for exactly 9.99** years in a new oak cask. The nose leads with savory smoke and notes of scorched apples and roasted meats. It tastes like a marshmallow s’mores, fresh from the fire. Smoky, fresh, and elegant.
**This single cask was bottled one day short of its tenth birthday. To date, Westland has yet to release its own 10-year-old whiskey, making this single cask the oldest whiskey Westland has ever released. If and when a 10-year-old is released, it will be done so by the folks at Westland.
Tom’s Foolery Ohio Straight Bourbon 10 Years Old Single Cask: 119.4 Proof (82 Bottles)
This family-owned distillery in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, uses traditional, labor-intensive methods, including wooden fermenters and pot still distillation. This straight bourbon whiskey was aged for 10 years in a 53-gallon barrel, and was made from 63% corn from their family farm, 10% winter rye, and 27% malted barley. A reflection of the Ohio snowbelt, it has maple-drizzled cornbread, french vanilla, and warming oak spice on the nose, with hints of maple, chocolate, and fresh-cut hay on the palate.
Spirit Works California Straight Rye 10 Years Old Single Cask: 139.2 Proof (120 Bottles)
Based in the heart of Sonoma wine country, the distillery is renowned for its gin and rye whiskey, guided by one of the only female-led distilling teams in the U.S. This release, made from 70% rye, 10% malted rye, and 20% malted barley, was aged for 10 years in a new American oak cask, making it one of the oldest whiskies ever to come from Spirit Works. The nose brings hints of fresh lemon and spearmint, while the palate is fresh and powerful, with deep, balanced oak notes.
New York Distilling Co. Straight Rye 10 Years Old Single Cask: 133.9 Proof (125 bottles)
Brooklyn-based New York Distilling Co. is one of the country’s first and finest urban distilleries and a champion of the rebirth of gin and rye whiskey in the Empire State. This 10-year-old release, made from 72% rye, 16% corn, and 12% malted barley, is among the oldest New York whiskies ever. The nose offers lemon custard, fresh mint, lemon verbena, leather, and dense oak. The palate bursts with dark chocolate, mint brownies, and cinnamon-frosted babka. Remarkably fresh, deep, and complex.