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Lost Lantern
Vergennes, VT (February 26, 2025)— For centuries, whiskey makers have used different barrels to impart unique flavors to their spirits, and today, cask finishing has become a key part of whiskey-making worldwide.
In the U.S., distilleries increasingly finish their single malts, bourbons, ryes, and other whiskies in secondary casks to amplify and enhance existing flavors. While traditional finishes like sherry, port, and Madeira remain popular, many American distilleries are pushing boundaries by experimenting with finishes rooted in their local environment, introducing flavors rarely seen in whiskey. Some of these innovations are now becoming a part of a new American whiskey tradition, just as sherry casks have for Scotch.
“The best cask finishes explore and amplify the intricate flavors already inherent in the underlying whiskey. They enhance what is already there, adding surprising and delightful layers of complexity,” says Lost Lantern Co-founder Nora Ganley-Roper.
Since its launch in 2020, Lost Lantern, an independent bottler of American whiskey, has been dedicated to exploring both traditional and innovative aspects of the whiskey landscape. This spring, the company shines a light on finishes that showcase American whiskey’s depth, diversity, and artistry.
The Lost Lantern Spring 2025 Collection, consisting entirely of finished whiskies, highlights these new American finishing traditions. The flagship release, Opulent Orchard, is a New York Distilling Co. 7-year-old rye whiskey finished in apple brandy casks and is the latest entry in Lost Lantern’s Single Distillery Series. The collection also features a range of single casks, each with a finish capturing a distillery’s unique environment and traditions. Alongside returning partners, this release marks Lost Lantern’s first collaboration with Finger Lakes Distilling in upstate New York, featuring a rye whiskey finished in a former Pommeau (a blend of apple brandy and apple juice) cask.
The Lost Lantern Spring 2025 Finish Collection will be available starting Wednesday, April 2nd, at LostLanternWhiskey.com and Seelbachs.com, at select retailers in California, New York, and Massachusetts, and in the Lost Lantern Tasting Room in Vergennes, VT.
As always, each release is presented at natural cask strength, non-chill-filtered, and with no color added.
Opulent Orchard New York Distilling Co. Apple Brandy Finished Straight Rye Whiskey
114.9 Proof (410 bottles), SRP $100
Lost Lantern’s first rye whiskey in the Single Distillery Series, this apple brandy-finished rye from New York Distilling marries the spice of northern rye with fresh fruit flavors. Blended by the Lost Lantern team, it combines three 7-year-old rye whiskies, each finished in American apple brandy barrels, creating a balanced mix of spice and sweetness. The nose offers fresh apples, rye spice, and black licorice, while the palate bursts with cinnamon applesauce, apple pie, warm oak, and wintergreen mint, leading to a spicy, peppery finish.
Santa Fe Spirits Apple Brandy Finished New Mexico Single Malt Single Cask
110.1 Proof (100 bottles), SRP $100
A pioneer of mesquite-smoked American Single Malt, Santa Fe Spirits offers a distinctly Southwestern take on smoked whisky. Made from 100% malted barley, with 30% mesquite-smoked, it aged 3.5 years in a 53-gallon barrel before finishing for over a year in an ex-Santa Fe Spirits apple brandy barrel. Bright, smoky, and fruity, this is Lost Lantern’s first single cask from Santa Fe Spirits since 2020.
Andalusia Tequila Finished Peated Texas Single Malt Single Cask
122.3 Proof (150 bottles), SRP $100
Based in Texas Hill Country, Andalusia is a rising star in American single malt. This single cask, made from 100% malted barley with 10% lightly peated, was aged for 2.5 years in a cask that previously held Andalusia’s wood-smoked Stryker single malt before finishing for another six months in an ex-Añejo tequila cask. A nuanced whiskey, the nose offers butterscotch and delicate grassy smoke, while the palate features fresh grass, vanilla cream, and deep, complex smoke.
Starlight Honey Finished Indiana Straight Bourbon Single Cask
110 Proof (265 bottles), SRP $80
Founded by Ted Huber, Starlight revives the 19th-century distilling tradition of Huber’s Orchard & Winery, where his family has farmed for seven generations. Known for its expert finishes, Starlight aged their 4-year-old Indiana bourbon for three months in a cask that once held barrel-aged honey from their farm. The result is a vibrant spirit with notes of fresh wildflower honey, white flowers, roses, and a honeyed yet balanced palate.
Watershed Nocino Finished Ohio Straight Bourbon 8 Years Old Single Cask
126.5 Proof (200 bottles), SRP $90
This Columbus, Ohio, distillery is known for its meticulous production, use of local ingredients, and innovative approach to grain. Watershed aged this bourbon for 3 years and 8 months in new oak before finishing it for 4 years and 7 months in a cask that previously held their nocino black walnut liqueur. The nose offers marzipan, butterscotch, and sweet oak, while the palate features dried mint, warm oak, toffee, and candied walnuts.
Finger Lakes Distilling Pommeau Finished New York Straight Rye Whiskey Single Cask
91.7 Proof (205 bottles), SRP $100
Finger Lakes Distilling is best known for its McKenzie whiskey brand and commitment to crafting spirits from Upstate New York’s agricultural bounty. This rye whiskey aged for 6 years before finishing for three months in a former Pommeau barrel from Finger Lakes Cider House. The nose bursts with juicy apple, cinnamon, spice, and plum, while the palate is warm and balanced with spiced apple cider, rye spice, and gentle oak notes.
ABOUT LOST LANTERN
Founded by Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski, Lost Lantern is an award-winning independent bottler of American whiskey based in Vergennes, VT. The brand has been honored as Independent Bottler of the Year at the 2023 Global Icons of Whisky Awards, and founders Nora and Adam were both named to Beverage Information Group's 40 Under 40 list for 2025 and named to SevenFifty Daily's 2023 Drinks Innovators of the Year. The company seeks out the most unique and exciting whiskies from across the U.S. and releases them as single casks and blends, always with a deep commitment to transparency. Lost Lantern has now released whiskey from more than three dozen distilleries in over 20 states.
For more information about Lost Lantern, to learn about upcoming, available, and retired whiskies, to visit the tasting room, or to subscribe to Lost Lantern's newsletter, please visit LostLanternWhiskey.com. Engage with Lost Lantern Whiskey on Instagram and Facebook: @lostlanternwhiskey.
