Lost Lantern’s Spring 2024 Collection Is All Mid-Western

Negociant Lost Lantern Went All Mid-Western Whiskey For Its Spring 2024 Collection. We’ve Round The Entire Batch Up.

By Randall H. Borkus

Lost Lantern, the independent bottler of sourced whiskeys founded by a former Sales Manager at Astor Wine & Spirits (Nora Ganley-Roper) and a former whisky writer (Adam Polonski) usually presents its single cask collections as diverse representations of America’s small distillery sector. For Spring 2024, they took a different turn, and for the first time released a regionally focused collection. This first use of the regional theme is centered on the Mid-West.

“The Midwest is one of the most exciting and dynamic whiskey regions in the United States, yet it’s one that whiskey drinkers often overlook,” says Lost Lantern Co-Founder Nora Ganley-Roper. “Other regions like the Pacific Northwest and Texas may have a higher profile, but distilleries across the Midwest are making truly wonderful, world-class whiskies. This is especially true for bourbon and rye, and we’ve found that many of the best whiskies of the Midwest exhibit a complex yet soft and creamy character. Lost Lantern’s Midwest Collection is designed to showcase some of these whiskies and help whiskey lovers explore a region that has truly come into its own.”

Lost Lantern’s new Spring Collection celebrates seven distinct bottlings, each highlighting what makes whiskey from the Midwest so fascinating: Far-Flung Rye (a multi-distillery blend of rye whiskies from across the Midwest) and six single casks from distilleries across the region. The Collection features the return of three previous Lost Lantern partners—Starlight Distillery (IN), Cedar Ridge (IA), and Tom’s Foolery (OH), as well as three new distillery partners: Wollersheim Distillery (WI), FEW Spirits (IL), and Middle West Spirits (OH).

The Midwest collection is available for purchase at the new Lost Lantern Tasting Room in Vergennes, VT, and online at LostLanternWhiskey.com and Seelbachs.com beginning March 27, 2024. It will also be available at select retailers in New York and California. This collection is presented at cask strength, non-chill-filtered, and with no color added.

These are my notes on the entire collection, starting with Lost Lantern’s own regional blend.

Far-Flung Rye: 4 years old, 121.6 Proof (486 bottles) $100

Rating: B+

This special Midwest release brings together a blend of straight rye whiskeys from four to nine years old, from five distilleries in the region: Cedar Ridge (IA), Middle West Spirits (OH), Starlight Distillery (IN), Tom’s Foolery Distillery (OH), and Wollersheim Distillery (WI).

The color is medium dark copper brown. The nose is spicy, sweet and grassy. The palate has a spicy and rich chocolate covered berry. The finish is complex with sweet berry mush pie, rich cinnamon glaze that last a long time. The whiskey is a rye full and complex, and it would make a great addition to any bar top.

Cedar Ridge Iowa Straight Wheat Single Cask: 6 years old, 123.1 Proof, (203 bottles) $90

Rating: C+

Cedar Ridge in Swisher, Iowa has been owned by the Quint family as a farm for decades, and in recent years they’ve been making wine and then distilling spirits. This wheat whiskey is made from 100% malted white winter wheat that was aged for 6 years in a 53-gallon barrel.

The whiskey color is similar to a medium dark scotch. The nose is sweet and spicy with notes of a dull vanilla and a touch of fruit. The front and mid-palate are warm with hints of cinnamon ginger and Cardamom. The finish is somewhat flat with a hint of spice and vanilla essence. It’s a nice whiskey, but drinks young, wanting for more time in the barrel.

Starlight Distillery Indiana Straight Bourbon Single Cask: 6 years old, 118.7 Proof, (132 bottles) $90

Rating: B+

Starlight Distillery is part of Huber’s Orchard & Winery, which has been an Indiana institution since 1843. This straight bourbon whiskey was aged in a 53-gallon barrel for 6 years, including two years in Vermont. The mash bill is 60% corn, 20% malted barley, 10% rye, and 10% wheat.

The whiskey color is a dark reddish amber. The nose jumps right out at me with sewed farm fruits and caramel cream.  The front and mid-palate are juicy with notes of mocha, more caramel, nutmeg and hints of juicy fruit gum. The finish is bold, complex, and spicy with a long juicy fruit finish. This is a solid, enjoyable bourbon that I would like to add to my bar.

FEW Spirits Illinois Straight Bourbon Single Cask: 5 years old, 124.6 Proof, (200 bottles) $90

Rating: C-

In February 2022, Heaven Hill Brands acquired FEW Spirits as part of its buy-out of Samson & Surrey. FEW has been creating grain-to-glass whiskies since 2011 from its urban setting in Evanston, Illinois, just outside Chicago. The mash bill is 70% corn, 20% rye, and 10% malted barley and aged for 5 years in a 53-gallon new American oak barrel.

The color is a beautiful dark copper amber. The nose is hot and astringent, with a slight sweet hint of baking spice. The front and mid-palate is hot and spicy, with slight notes of mocha dusted with powdered sugar. The finish is mouth numbing, long, dry and settling in with more dry numbness. This bourbon drinks young and dry, so it is not my jam, as it lacks flavor complexity and depth I expected.

Wollersheim Distillery Wisconsin Straight Bourbon Single Cask: 5 years old, 131.2 Proof, (200 bottles) $90

Rating:  C-

Established in the 19th century, the Wollersheim Winery, Distillery and Bitsro is a family-owned winery and distillery. This straight bourbon whiskey mash bill is all locally grown grains, with 66% corn, 22% rye, and 12% malted barley.

The color is a traditional dark brown. The nose is strong and comes across young and grainy. The palate is loaded with a dry leather, young withering tobacco leaf with hints of dry dark chocolate. The finish is very dry and grainy like walking through corn bin dust with a spiced earthy overtone that last a long time. I tried a few drops of water and all I get a glass full of sweet corn dust and spice. The dryness is overwhelming here, so I am struggling to find much flavor or complexity.

Middle West Spirits Ohio Straight Rye Single Cask: 4 years old, 126 Proof (197 bottles) $90

Rating: B

Middle West Spirits is one of the region’s largest distilleries and located in Columbus, Ohio. This is a four-grain straight rye whiskey, aged for 4 years in a 53-gallon new oak barrel from Speyside Cooperage.

The color is a desirable dark red amber. The nose is interesting with hints of spearmint and a sweet green tea extract.  The front and mid palate are malty, grainy, sweet green tea essence, with a juicy presence in my mouth. The finish is warm, spicy and spearmint sweetness. This rye whiskey caught me by surprise. It’s a very interesting pour with delicious flavor profile that I would like to have on my bar.

Tom’s Foolery Ohio Straight Rye Single Cask: 9 years old, 116.5 Proof (170 bottles) $120

Rating: A-

This family-owned distillery uses traditional wooden fermenters and pot still distillation.  The whiskey was aged 9 years in a 53-gallon barrel, making this the oldest whiskey in this collection. This straight rye whiskey mash bill is 70% winter rye and 30% malted rye.

This is very close to the traditional 80/20 Monongahela rye mash bill, and it shows. The color is a dark reddish amber. The nose is freshly scented with hints of fresh-cut lemon grass and full of rye spice. The palate is complex, mouthwatering with hints of fresh cut oak, new leather with a lemon zest sugar splash. The finish is long, warm, and full of oak honey essence. This is a fun and complex rye whiskey that needs to find its way onto my bar.