Review: Lost Lantern Fall 2025 American Single Malt Whiskey Releases

On December 18, 2024, American single malt whiskey finally earned its long-awaited official status, receiving formal recognition from the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) as a distinct category of American whiskey. For most producers, the newly established standards of identity were already familiar—many had been adhering to them voluntarily for years—so the ruling felt less like a revolution and more like a well-deserved stamp of legitimacy.

Yet even with this newfound credibility, bourbon and rye remain the undisputed kings of the American whiskey domain. Into this reality steps Lost Lantern, the acclaimed independent bottler, with an ambitious mission: to accelerate the rise of American single malt and place it firmly on the global stage.

Their weapon of choice? The Fall 2025 release aptly titled The Scotch Lover’s Collection.

This curated lineup features five single-cask expressions of mature American single malt, sourced from three of the category’s most respected producers, alongside a vatted release that blends whiskies from eleven distilleries spanning eight states.

The American single malt scene is still young—adolescent at best in most cases—making direct comparisons to centuries-old Scottish houses a tricky proposition for enthusiasts. Younger age statements and evolving house styles can leave even the most open-minded drinkers reaching for familiar Scotch benchmarks.

With The Scotch Lover’s Collection, Lost Lantern is making a statement: the United States is already producing single malts of extraordinary depth, complexity, and beauty—whiskies that deserve to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the world’s finest, without apology or asterisk.

The question now hovering over every glass: Can Lost Lantern help move the conversation from “It’s very good… but it’s still not Scotch” to simply, confidently, “It’s very good?”

Lost Lantern Warfield Distillery Idaho Single Malt Review

Perched at 5,800 feet in the Sawtooth range, Warfield Distillery operates one of the highest-elevation aging programs in North America—well above any point in Scotland. Founded in 2015 by Alex Buck and Ben Bradley, the operation remains one of the country’s handful of certified organic distilleries and runs a pair of 1,000-gallon Forsyths pot stills for its malt spirit.

This barrel, the distillery’s first cask-strength release and Lost Lantern’s inaugural Idaho selection, spent at least four years in a 53-gallon ex-bourbon cask.

On the nose, it opens with a clear note of Raisin Bran cereal and a touch of brown sugar, then shifts toward the pale interior of an under-ripe cantaloupe and a faint vanilla Tootsie Roll. A quick twist of lemon oil appears just before the aroma fades.

The entry carries the charred, sugary core of a campfire marshmallow alongside a concentrated cola note. Mid-palate, the whiskey turns pleasantly dusty—like warm air inside a rickhouse—while an Arnold Palmer Half & Half drifts underneath. The texture sits at medium weight, coating without clinging.

The finish resolves into dark demerara syrup, the kind stirred into an Old Fashioned, followed by a surprising prickle of fresh horseradish that quickly recedes into mulled apple cider loaded with cinnamon and clove.

For many drinkers, this bottle will be the first word they hear about Warfield. It is a good introduction. Anyone who enjoys single malt will finish the glass eager to track down whatever the distillery releases next. 135.4 proof. B+ / $100

Lost Lantern McCarthy’s Peated Oregon Single Malt 10 Years Old Review

Clear Creek first ran malt through its stills in 1994, long before the current wave of American single malt producers arrived. This barrel, drawn from a fourth-fill 400-liter cask of native Quercus garryana (Oregon white oak), marks the oldest official bottling of McCarthy’s ever released and the first to reach double-digit age.

The nose opens with the low, damp smoke of extinguished newspapers not long after flames died, then quickly pivots to thick boysenberry syrup—the exact shade once poured over pancakes at IHOP. That sweetness recedes, giving way to cool root-cellar air and the sharp, mineral scent of rain-warmed asphalt on a summer day. Pink peppercorn adds nice spice at the very end.

On the palate, the boysenberry note returns in force, followed immediately by the juicy flesh of honeydew at perfect ripeness. The fruit collapses into the edges of chocolate-chip pancakes left too long on the griddle, then the crisp shell of a burnt marshmallow. Smoke reappears on the finish as smoldering pine needles above a bowl of mushroom broth, reinforced by charred orange peel, worn saddle leather, and a bright crack of white pepper that refuses to fade.

This is the finest McCarthy’s I have tasted. Earlier this year, a rum-cask peated release from Clear Creek briefly claimed the top spot among American single malts on my shelf; this Garryana cask has now taken its place without contest. 118.6 proof. A / $150

Lost Lantern Triple Eight Distillery Massachusetts Single Malt 10 Years Old Review

Founded in 2000, Triple Eight Distillery occupies a corner of the Cisco Brewers compound on Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, less than two miles from the southern shoreline. The proximity to the Atlantic imparts a maritime character to barrels resting there. The whiskey is produced exclusively from Maris Otter malted barley sourced from East Anglia, United Kingdom — a variety developed in 1966 that remains a favorite among craft distillers. Triple Eight has already established its mastery of long-aged American single malt through prior releases of The Notch at 12 and 15 years, placing the distillery among the very few to offer expressions of that maturity in the United States.

This particular whiskey is distilled twice in an Arnold Holstein hybrid pot/column still and matured a minimum of ten years in ex-used bourbon barrels.

On the nose, an immediate note of spun-sugar cotton candy appears, rapidly joined by a briny sea-air note. Once the salt recedes, aromas of damp autumn leaves and the skin of vanilla pudding appear. The palate opens with an echo of Honey Nut Cheerios breakfast cereal and mild pink peppercorn. Midway, the profile shifts toward a Twix candy bar that is a bit light on the milk chocolate, followed by stewed apple and a moderately oily texture. The finish brings honey-roasted peanuts, another touch of pink peppercorn, and finally the flavor of orange marshmallow circus peanuts softened by mild cinnamon.

From first pour to final fade, the whiskey performs at a consistently high level. It is an expression I would gladly keep on the shelf for regular enjoyment and would offer to fellow enthusiasts without hesitation. With this release, Triple Eight further cements its position as one of the most accomplished producers of American single malt whiskey. 124.2 proof. A / $150

Lost Lantern Triple Eight Distillery Sauternes Cask Aged  Massachusetts Single Malt 11 Years Old Review

This release marks a milestone: it is the first of Lost Lantern’s whiskeys to complete its entire maturation in a French oak cask that previously held Sauternes, the rich, sweet white dessert wine from Bordeaux produced mainly from Semillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle. Distilled entirely from Maris Otter barley, this expression is also the oldest whiskey the company has ever bottled, having spent at least eleven years aging under maritime conditions.

On the nose, it opens with the aroma of cinnamon-raisin bagels fresh from the toaster oven, followed by honey-filled hard candies. Once the initial honey note recedes, pineapple gummy candies appear, then fade into the dry, powdered-orange character of classic Tang.

The palate arrives with Honey Nut Cheerios, carried along by the same bright Tang orange note — now fully dissolved and rounded, as if mixed with water. Mid-palate, Breyer’s peach yogurt (the kind with fruit settled at the bottom) meets the fig-filled chew of a Newton cookie. The texture sits at a solid medium weight with a slight oiliness that coats evenly.

The finish brings toasted brioche topped with grapefruit marmalade, then closes on a buttermilk tang and a hint of cherry pipe tobacco.

The Sauternes cask seasoning is present throughout yet never overwhelms; it acts as a refined accent that should appeal to any single-malt enthusiast. This is an accomplished whiskey and a bottle well worth seeking out.  120.9 proof. A- / $180

Lost Lantern Triple Eight Distillery Peated Massachusetts Single Malt Review

Triple Eight has now issued its first peated single malt. The whiskey comes from 100% two-row spring barley smoked over Highland peat from Scotland. Two-row barley carries lower and more even protein levels than six-row, which helps limit unwanted flavors and explains why most Scotch and European distillers prefer it. This barrel rested 6½ years near the coast.

The aroma starts with beeswax candles and Lemon Pledge furniture polish. That citrus quickly shifts to struck-match sulfur and the damp, earthy smell of a fresh bag of potting soil. On the palate, it offers graham cracker topped with a ribbon of honey, then moves to the freshly baked bread from Subway. Later sips bring pink Starburst candy and smoky bacon bits. The texture lands at medium weight with a modest grip. The finish turns firmly peaty: burnt rubber hose at first, followed by pencil shavings and microwave caramel popcorn left thirty seconds too long.

Taken together, this is a solid and enjoyable American peated single malt. It never reaches “peat monster” territory, yet the smoke is plainly present and welcome. 115.9 proof. B+ / $120

Lost Lantern Vatted Malt Remix Review

Lost Lantern’s Batch AVM-2, labeled Vatted Malt Remix, stands as the most geographically and stylistically diverse assembly of American single malts released to date. It expands on the 2020 Vatted Malt Edition No. 1 (six distilleries) by incorporating five additional producers, bringing the total to eleven: Balcones, Copperworks, Santa Fe Spirits, Triple Eight, Virginia Distillery Co., and Westward from the original, joined now by Andalusia Whiskey, Cedar Ridge, McCarthy’s, Westland, and Whiskey del Bac. These contributors represent eight states.

Every component is 100 % malted barley whiskey, yet the malt bill spans Golden Promise, Washington Select, Skagit Valley Alba six-row, Maris Otter, and both mesquite-smoked and peat-smoked lots. Barrel regimens are equally varied: 15- to 60-gallon formats alongside standard sizes, ex-bourbon casks, re-toasted wine barrels, Oloroso sherry casks, and new American oak. Age statements range from 2 years 236 days to 8 full years.

On the nose, the whiskey opens with cooked oats topped with dark brown sugar. That cereal character soon yields to honeydew melon flesh close to the rind, backed by faint lemon balm. The palate arrives with charred rosemary branches pulled straight from the fire, their char tempered by the soft, sugary core of a heavily browned marshmallow. Corn Pops cereal and Werther’s Original candies follow in quick succession. Despite the evident sweetness, the texture remains surprisingly dry. The finish shifts toward spice cake and buttery shortbread, then circles back to sweetness via white cake batter ice cream before closing on the faded cinnamon note of well-worked chewing gum.

Lost Lantern has managed to fold eleven unique distillery voices into a single, coherent bottle. Even with two components under three years of age (one raised in 15-gallon barrels under the Arizona sun), nothing feels immature or out of place.  Vatted Malt Remix AVM-2 is a convincing demonstration of what blending can achieve in the American single malt category and a bottle worth acquiring while it remains available. 110.7 proof. A- / $100

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