Unless
you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve heard the news that 2026 is the 250th
birthday of the United States and the signing of the Declaration of Independence.
Some industries have been in for the win, while others shrug their shoulders as
if nothing big is happening. The adult beverage market is absolutely, positively
“all in.”
Lost Lantern has opted to go “whole hog” by offering the United
States of Bourbon: two blended from distillates from all 50 states, and one
that represents the original 13.
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.
One
thing that I’m passionate about is transparency. I respect that some things
have to be kept confidential. However, things get exciting when distilleries
and non-distilling producers lay most, if not 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.
Trying
to pick 50 different Bourbons for a blend is daunting. You’re not just randomly
plucking a barrel from each state; you have to think down the line about how 50
different Bourbons will mesh with one another and what outcome you envision.
That’s where a master blender comes in, and Nora has stepped into that role,
while Adam sourced each of the barrels.
Between
the different mashbills, barrel sizes, finishing cycles, and age statements, there’s
a lot to digest between these three expressions. Rather than list all of the
distillers multiple times, the 100 Proof and Cask Strength distilleries are:
And,
the 1776 distilleries are:
Let’s
#DrinkCurious and get this party started!
United
States of Bourbon 100 Proof
- Whiskey Type: Bourbon
- Age: 2 to 10 years
- Alcohol Content: 50% ABV (100°)
- Price per 750mL: $79.99
- Non-chill filtered
- 6800 bottle yield
Appearance: The toffee-colored
100 Proof Expression formed a fragile rim with tightly packed, crazed tears.
Nose: The
aroma included smells of nutmeg, clove, oak, very mild cherries, caramel, and brown
sugar. Drawing the air into my mouth exposed me to toasted butterscotch.
Palate: The
first sip revealed a creamy texture and a healthy dose of baked spiced apples. With
the second, I tasted baked spiced apples, raspberries, and orange peel on the
front of my palate. The middle offered caramel, marshmallow fluff, and pipe
tobacco, while clove, toasted oak, and candied ginger hit the back of my
palate.
Finish: Leather,
orange peel, apple pie filling, brown sugar, clove, toasted oak, black pepper,
and ginger spice parked on my tongue; there wasn’t much impact on my throat. It
started spicy, then mellowed and became somewhat sweet, but the spice returned
with a vengeance, eventually hitting its crescendo at 2:01, then it jumped off
a cliff at 2:19. Ginger spice was the last thing I tasted.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Frankly,
I had no clue what to expect; I created the chart showing the various distilleries,
mashbills, and wood involved and kept telling Mrs. Whiskeyfellow that this
could be awesome or a complete disaster. There are also distilleries I’m not
the biggest fan of, and I was hopeful they would not dominate the sipping
experience – they didn’t.
I found United States of
Bourbon 100 Proof to be one heck of a fascinating Bourbon. I found it
captivating and very enjoyable, and 100° is a great sweetspot for American
whiskeys. There’s really nothing to dislike here, including the price. My Bottle
rating is a slam-dunk.
◊◊◊◊◊
United States of Bourbon
Cask Strength
 |
| courtesy of Lost Lantern |
- Whiskey Type: Bourbon
- Age: 2 to 10 years
- Alcohol Content: 61.45% ABV (122.9°)
- Price per 750mL: $99.99
- Non-chill filtered
- 3300 bottle yield
Appearance: The
Cask Strength expression was the color of ginger. A medium-thin rim generated widely
spaced, syrupy tears.
Nose: My olfactory
sense was quick to pick out caramel. Upon further inspection, I found vanilla, cherries,
dark chocolate, muted oak, orange zest, and toffee. Inhaling the vapor through
my lips, I found rich chocolate.
Palate: A
dense, creamy mouthfeel led to a big blast of clove on that first sip.
Subsequent ones unveiled notes of cocoa nibs, caramel, and sweet pipe tobacco
on the front. My mid-palate detected cherries, raisins, and brown sugar. I
tasted mild clove, sweet oak, and leather on the back.
Finish: Caramel,
almonds, cashews, leather, cherries, raisins, and cocoa remained. It was a
strangely short finish, lasting only 40 seconds.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: Interestingly,
the nose was softer with the Cask Strength expression than with the 100 Proof. There
was also far less impact with this higher-proofed version. While this isn’t the
first time I’ve experienced that, in my brain, it is nonsensical. We’re talking
about over 22 proof points!
I found a remarkable
dryness during this drinking session, as the leather and cocoa sucked moisture
from my mouth and throat. At the same time, I was impressed by how balanced
things were; they meshed perfectly, without any one note pushing the others
away. My chief complaint is how short the finish was. With all that, I still
believe this one is fairly priced and earns every bit of my Bottle rating.
◊◊◊◊◊
United States of Bourbon
1776
 |
| courtesy of Lost Lantern |
- Whiskey Type: Bourbon
- Age: 4 to 8 years
- Alcohol Content: 61.45% ABV (122.9°)
- Price per 750mL: $199.99
- Non-chill filtered
- 1776 bottle yield
Appearance: 1776’s
bronze color seemed inviting. The Bourbon produced a thick rim with randomly
spaced, husky, fast tears.
Nose: As I
began my sniffing journey, I found plenty of chocolate and walnuts. As I dove
deeper, I also found notes of caramel, hazelnuts, toffee, and leather. Inside my
mouth, the air tasted of muted orange zest.
Palate: My
initial experience was soft, almost watery, with no palate shock. On the front
of my palate, I tasted walnuts, dry oak, and leather. I discovered that the
mid-palate featured notes of chocolate, freshly baked pastries, and molasses,
while the back brought oak, tobacco, and orange zest.
Finish: What
remained included fresh-baked pastries, chocolate, dry oak, walnuts, clove, and
leather. It was very level with no waves or troughs. The entirety lasted 1:27,
making it a medium-long duration.
Bottle, Bar, or Bust: The 1776
expression was decent but lacked the complexity of the 100 Proof and Cask
Strength bottlings. I’m not suggesting it was bad; it just paled in comparison.
Perhaps dropping the proof would help; as it is, I had trouble identifying
individual component whiskeys. And, at $200.00, I don’t see myself rushing out
to obtain one. My Bar rating seems sufficient.
◊◊◊◊◊
Final Thoughts: If you
look at the component list, especially the 100 Proof and Cask Strength expressions,
you can see how often smaller cooperage was used. I found that concerning and
was really hoping that the typical off-putting notes would be held in the
shadows, and they were.
Blends work great because
you have so much to play with. Johnnie Walker does a great job of taking
50+ whiskies and creating something special. Crown Royal does something
similar. But those use vintage oak, whereas Bourbon must always use new,
charred oak casks.
I must commend, nay, I
stand up and give a rousing applause to Nora for making the United States of
Bourbon program work, because unlike European or Canadian whiskies, it shouldn’t,
not with as much mashbill variety as these 50 component whiskeys offer. Don’t
get me wrong, Adam did a marvelous job at sourcing these whiskeys, but the true
art form is blending. This makes you a legend, Nora (I’m still clapping).
In order, I preferred the
100 Proof, Cask Strength, and the 1776. 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.
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