Review of Lost Lantern's Summer 2025 Collection

 

Courtesy of Lost Lantern Whiskey

Lost Lantern is an American independent bottler founded in 2018 by Nora Ganley-Roper of Astor Wine & Spirits and Adam Polonski of Whisky Advocate; the duo is committed to releasing whiskeys from distilleries they've personally visited. Nora handles production and operations, and Adam handles marketing, sales, and sourcing. Lost

 

One thing that I'm passionate about is transparency. I respect that some things have to be held close to the vest. However, that gets exciting when distilleries lay most or all of their cards on the table. The fact that Lost Lantern is also committed to transparency is greatly appreciated. It will tell you just about anything you want to know about each offering.

 

Lost Lantern’s 2025 Summer Collection will be available starting June 25, 2025. These whiskeys are either Bourbon, Rye, Wheat, or blends.

 

Lost Lantern's whiskeys can be purchased from LostLanternWhiskey.com, Seelbachs.com, the Lost Lantern Tasting Room in Vermont, and select California, Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island retailers.

 

There are a few things to be aware of before I do the #DrinkCurious thing. Firstly, I did not sample all of these in one sitting. My adventure was spanned over a few days for two reasons: Palate fatigue is a real thing. After about three different whiskeys, it becomes challenging to determine notes with any accuracy. Also, getting schnockered does nobody, especially myself, any good. Otherwise, I’d throw in a bunch of I-love-you-mans in the reviews.

 

Secondly, and more importantly, I must thank Lost Lantern for this opportunity in exchange for my no-strings-attached, honest reviews.

 

Thirdly, I used a fresh Glencairn glass with each whiskey and sipped them all neat.

 

And, lastly, none of these distilleries are strangers to me. I’ve reviewed at least one (often more than one) whiskey from each of the distilleries that contributed to Lost Lantern’s collection.

First up are the two blends.

 

Farmer’s Fields Bourbon

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distillers: Far North Spirits, Frey Ranch Distillery, Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.
• Age: 5 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 58.95% ABV (117.9°)
• Price per 750mL: $100.00 (428 bottles)
• Non-Chill Filtered, Naturally Colored

 

Appearance: The golden-amber liquid created big, wavy tears that fell from a medium-thick rim.

 

Nose: Typically, there are expected “first notes” in Bourbon. They include vanilla, caramel, corn, and fruit. Farmers’ Fields Bourbon began with malt. That was very unusual. I also smelled oak, corn, vanilla, and mint. When I drew the air into my mouth, there was butterscotch.

 

Palate: A soft, buttery texture greeted my lips and tongue. The front of my palate discovered field corn, soft oak, and leather. As it moved to the middle, I tasted caramel, shredded tobacco, and nutmeg. The back had toffee, clove, and chocolate.

 

Finish: Farmers’ Fields Bourbon had an incredibly short finish, weighing in only at 0:35. I had to take several sips to note them as they passed quickly. What I could nail down were leather, tobacco, corn, and oak.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Blends are always a crapshoot. If a blender is talented, they can perform magic. If you’re like me, who fails more times than he wins, you find something that becomes a drain pour.

 

Lost Lantern did an impressive job taking three of the single-barrel Bourbons and creating something new. It is a good pour, one that deserves my Bottle rating.

 

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Farmer’s Fields Rye

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distillers: Corbin Cash Spirits, Far North Spirits, Frey Ranch Distillery, and Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.
• Age: 3 years
• Mashbill: Undisclosed
• Cooperage: Undisclosed
• Alcohol Content: 58.7% ABV (117.4°)
• Price per 750mL: $100.00 (538 bottles)
• Non-Chill Filtered, Naturally Colored

 

Appearance: This blend was the color of brown topaz. A thin rim produced widely spaced, wavy tears.

 

Nose: The smell of rye spice was unmistakable. I also encountered oak, cherries, plums, and cocoa. Taking the vapor through my lips, there was brown sugar.

 

Palate: Farmers’ Fields Rye had a thin, oily mouthfeel, and the front of my palate found notes of milk chocolate, cherries, and rye bread. My mid palate encountered leather, allspice, and caramel, while the back palate featured mint, fennel, and oak.  

 

Finish: Very long, spicy, and herbal, Farmers’ Fields Rye featured mint, fennel, rye and cinnamon spices, and oak. The duration lasted 1:55.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: As much as I wish I were, I am not a fan of black licorice, fennel, or anise. Those notes are like schoolyard bullies; they go out of their way to make sure you notice them. When blended with some sweeter notes, those flavors are tamed, and I can pretend they aren’t a factor. With Farmers’ Fields Rye, the fennel was a bit too pronounced for my liking.

 

I still respect what Lost Lantern did, and interestingly, I was able to pull out two of the individual component whiskeys in the blend, which is something I always find exciting. In my opinion, Farmers’ Fields Rye should be tried first at a Bar if possible.  

 

The remainder of the whiskeys are all single casks. “Estate-Grown” means that all the grains were farmed on-premises.

 

Frey Ranch Estate-Grown Nevada Straight Bourbon

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Frey Ranch Distillery
• Age: 6 years
• Mashbill: 67% corn, 12% barley, 11% rye, 10% wheat
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon barrels, #4 char staves with #3 charred heads
• Alcohol Content: 62.65% ABV (121.3°)
• Price per 750mL: $100.00 (200 bottles)
• Non-Chill Filtered, Naturally Colored

 

Frey Ranch is a working ranch that dates back to 1854, and in recent years, it has begun distilling whiskey. When I say distilling, I mean really distilling, not sourcing and bottling someone else's product. Colby Frey, both farmer and distiller, grows his own grains on over 2000 acres in the Sierra Nevada Watershed.

 

Appearance: The Bourbon looked like liquid caramel. It generated a thin rim with pencil-thin, very slow tears. A few sticky droplets remained.  

 

Nose: Frey Ranch’s aroma began as floral, then moved to caramel, oak, cherries, and melon rind. Drawing the air into my mouth, I tasted vanilla cream.

 

Palate: A thin, silky texture led me down a surprising path that included pineapples, caramel, and corn on the front of my palate. Next came almonds, nutmeg, and chocolate. Flavors of leather, white pepper, and oak were on the back.

 

Finish: The medium-long finish ran 1:17 and included pineapples, strawberries, oak, and white pepper.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: One of my favorite fruits is pineapple, and it isn’t a note often associated with Bourbon. Yet, it stood loud and proud, carrying through to the finish. Of course, that snagged my attention. Frey Ranch’s Bourbon is well-balanced, tasty, and drank about ten points below its stated proof. There’s nothing not to relish, and as such, it is worthy of my Bottle rating.

 

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Whiskey Acres Estate-Grown Illinois Straight Bourbon

 

• Whiskey Type: Bourbon
• Distiller: Whiskey Acres Distilling Co.
• Age: 5 years
• Mashbill: 75% yellow dent corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon, #3 charred oak from Kelvin Cooperage
• Alcohol Content: 59.05% ABV (118.1°)
• Price per 750mL: $100.00 (176 bottles)
• Non-Chill Filtered, Naturally Colored

 

Whiskey Acres Distilling Company is a farm-to-bottle distiller whose farming operations go back five generations. The father-and-son team of Jim and Jamie Walter, along with Nick Nagele, were considered “the most sophisticated farmers” with whom the late, great Dave Pickerell had worked. Whiskey Acres started distilling in 2014 and is situated on its 1600-acre farm. 

 

Appearance: Inside my glass, this brassy-gold Bourbon left a jagged rim that released pencil-thin, tightly spaced, fast tears.

 

Nose: You know how when you grab a can of vanilla frosting, remove the seal, and that waft of goodness rushes at your face? That’s the first thing I smelled. It was accompanied by caramel, corn, chocolate, and oak. As I inhaled the vapor past my lips, that vanilla frosting was still strong.

 

Palate: Whiskey Acres Bourbon had a thick, viscous mouthfeel. I tasted corn, bananas, and English toffee on the front of my palate—the middle featured nutmeg, tobacco, and rye spice. Then, on the back, I discovered dark chocolate, dry oak, and clove.

 

Finish: The long-lasting finish included flavors of bananas, caramel, dark chocolate, cinnamon spice, and oak. I timed it at 1:57.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Whiskey Acres reminded me of a decadent dessert. Sure, there were some spice notes, but overall, this was a sweet Bourbon that captivated my interest from nose to finish. Whiskey Acres rarely strikes out, and with this Bourbon, they knocked it out of the park. That’s the recipe for a Bottle rating.

 

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Frey Ranch Estate-Grown Nevada Straight Wheat Whiskey

 

• Whiskey Type: Wheat Whiskey
• Distiller: Frey Ranch Distillery
• Age: 6 years
• Mashbill: 100% white winter wheat
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon barrels, #4 char staves with #3 charred heads
• Alcohol Content: 60.65% ABV (121.3°)
• Price per 750mL: $100.00 (233 bottles)
• Non-Chill Filtered, Naturally Colored

 

Appearance: Frey Ranch Wheat had a blonde-gold appearance. It formed a thin rim on the wall, with wavy, fast, thick tears.

 

Nose: After giving this whiskey about ten minutes to breathe, I brought the glass under my nostrils and inhaled. Green grapes, cooked peaches, apricots, and soft oak permeated my olfactory sense. Taking the aroma into my mouth, I found caramel.

 

Palate: A creamy, midweight texture presented vanilla, chocolate, and menthol on the front of my palate. The middle included fennel and mint, while the back featured ginger, cinnamon, and oak spices.

 

Finish: It was a spicy one, that’s for sure. I tasted mint, black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and oak. It also lasted for 1:58, resulting in a relatively long duration.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The thing about distilled wheat is that it is tasteless. If wheat is present with other grains, it tends to shine the spotlight on those other grains. Lacking those, what’s in the barrel, along with the terroir, steal the show.

 

While that happens, I’m a bit dumbfounded at how intense the fruity notes were on the nose. I can’t recall another wheat whiskey like it.

 

The palate held the expected spice notes, although the menthol threw me for a loop. While that and the fennel were distracting, this was still a good representation of how different wheat whiskeys can be. It was well-balanced and, I believe, worth picking up. As such, it takes my Bottle rating.

 

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Corbin Cash Estate-Grown California Straight Rye

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: Corbin Cash Spirits
• Age: 7 years
• Mashbill: 100% Merced rye
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon, #5 charred oak from ISC
• Alcohol Content: 66.5% ABV (133°)
• Price per 750mL: $130.00 (108 bottles)
• Non-Chill Filtered, Naturally Colored

 

Corbin Cash Spirits was founded in 2017 by fourth-generation sweet potato farmer David Souza. The Atwater, California distillery is a grain-to-glass operation that relies on sustainable farming and produces whiskey, gin, vodka, and sweet potato liqueur.

 

Appearance: Corbin Cash’s Rye presented as a deep amber, with a thin rim and slow, thick, tightly-spaced tears.

 

Nose: At this proof, I gave it about 15 minutes to settle in the glass before bringing it to my face. As I sniffed, I pulled out apples, cherries, brown sugar, caramel, and chocolate. Caramel-coated Maraschino cherries were in the air as I inhaled the vapor into my mouth.

 

Palate: Corbin Cash provided a thick, creamy texture. On the front of my palate, I tasted nutmeg, cherries, and allspice. Notes of pipe tobacco, leather, and rye spice came next, followed by cinnamon, fennel, and charred oak.

 

Finish: Weighing in at 1:21, the finish included cinnamon Red Hots, sweet tobacco, fennel, cherries, and dark chocolate.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: While Corbin Cash’s Rye had some fennel on the palate, it was mild and buried beneath other notes, particularly with the finish. It is a well-balanced American Rye and is particularly great for spice lovers. I enjoyed it, and while it is the most expensive of Lost Lantern’s Summer Collection, I believe it is worth picking up a Bottle.

 

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Far North Estate-Grown Minnesota Straight Rye

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: Far North Spirits
• Age: 4 years
• Mashbill: 65% Hazel rye, 25% heirloom corn, and 10% malted barley
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon, #3 charred oak from Black Swan Cooperage
• Alcohol Content: 55.75% ABV (115.5°)
• Price per 750mL: $100.00 (226 bottles)
• Non-Chill Filtered, Naturally Colored

 

Just 25 miles from the US-Canadian border, Far North Spirits is the nation’s northernmost distillery in the Lower 48. The distillery was built on a former wheat field on the Swanson farm located in Hallock, Minnesota, in the Red River Valley. The Swansons have farmed the land continuously since 1917. Far North Spirits is owned and operated by Michael Swanson and Cheri Reese.

 

Appearance: This topaz-colored American Rye produced a thick rim with sticky droplets, which then transitioned to slow, thick tears.

 

Nose: The smell of fresh dill swept through the air. I also encountered rye spice, brown sugar, anise, and oak. Drawing the vapor through my lips, I found more fresh dill.

 

Palate: That first sip revealed a thin, oily mouthfeel. The front of my palate discerned corn, rye spice, and anise. At the mid-palate, the anise became more fennel-like and was joined by cinnamon and fresh dill. I tasted leather, oak, and chocolate on the back.

 

Finish: While the anise tamed mid-palate, it came roaring back on the finish. Rye spice, dill, leather, and oak remained as well. The duration lasted 1:24, making it medium-long.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The anise was strong with this whiskey, so much so that I couldn’t get it out of my mouth. If that’s your jam, you’re going to love this selection from Far North Spirits. It just wasn’t for me. I suggest you try this first, hence my Bar rating.

 

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Frey Ranch Estate-Grown Nevada Straight Rye

 

• Whiskey Type: American Rye
• Distiller: Frey Ranch Distillery
• Age: 6 years
• Mashbill: 100% winter rye
• Cooperage: New, 53-gallon barrels, #4 char staves with #3 charred heads
• Alcohol Content: 59.25% ABV (118.5°)
• Price per 750mL: $100.00 (230 bottles)
• Non-Chill Filtered, Naturally Colored

 

Appearance: The golden-colored rye from Frey Ranch created a massive rim with slow, thick tears.

 

Nose: As I brought the glass under my nose, I smelled musty oak, strawberries, apples, pears, and vanilla. The first thought to strike my mind was, This is a Rye? Taking the air into my mouth, I found more strawberries.

 

Palate: I encountered a thin, silky texture, and the front of my palate found anise, mint, and cherries. The middle tasted of tobacco leaves, leather, and nutmeg. Flavors of cinnamon, ginger, and rye spice prevailed on the back.

 

Finish: Clocking in at 1:31, the long finish featured anise, rye spice, cherry pie filling, and oak.

 

Bottle, Bar, or Bust: I know I sound like a broken record, but the strong anise presence is something I don’t enjoy. The quality is there. The nose is shocking. It isn’t a bad whiskey; it should be tasted before committing, which means it takes my Bar rating.

 

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Final Thoughts: I’ve been lucky enough to try most of what Lost Lantern has offered since its beginnings. The 2025 Summer Collection brought familiar brands to the scene, and for the most part, these were representative of what they are known for.

 

When I do these types of reviews, I’m often asked to rank the whiskeys involved. With that being said, I know there will be hurt feelings, and that’s not my intent: someone has to come in first, someone last. So, here you go:

 

1. Whiskey Acres Illinois Straight Bourbon
2. Frey Ranch Nevada Straight Bourbon
3. Corbin Cash California Straight Rye
4. Farmers’ Fields Bourbon Blend
5. Frey Ranch Nevada Straight Wheat Whiskey
6. Farmers’ Fields Rye Blend
7. Frey Ranch Nevada Straight Rye
8. Far North Minnesota Straight Rye

 

Thank you for sticking around in this very long review. Cheers!

 

My Simple, Easy-to-Understand Rating System

• Bottle = Buy It
• Bar = Try It
• Bust = Leave It

 

Whiskeyfellow encourages you to enjoy your whiskey as you see fit but begs you to do so responsibly.