Dirt | Toasted orange rind | Mushroom | Orange Julius | Light charcoal | Vegetative

Honeyed apple | Black peppercorn | Vanilla bean | Dry smoked oak | Blood orange

Smoked blood orange | Spiced apple | Green peppercorn spice | Dry oak | Leather

Santa Fe Spirits was an early American single malt producer founded in 2010 by Colin Keegan. Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, this southwestern-based distillery has a long history with Lost Lantern, providing the first single cask for the company’s first release in 2020. Over the years, Santa Fe Spirits have been part of Lost Lantern’s Flame and Vatted Malt Edition No. 1 blended American single malt whiskeys, however, this is the first time the company is revisiting them for a stand-alone release.

The whiskey is composed of 100% malted barley, 30% of which was mesquite smoked, and Lost Lantern states that it was “aged for 3.5 years in a 53-gallon barrel, then finished for over a year in an ex-Santa Fe Spirits apple brandy barrel.” The resulting barrel produced a scant 100 bottles in total.

An instant earthy aroma is present the moment you lift the glass that results in a love-it-or-hate-it introduction. Vegetative scents, including mushroom and dirt, blend with contrasting toasted orange rind and light charcoal, followed by an odd yet satisfying whiff of Orange Julius. The midpoint pulls in a touch of honeyed apple and blood orange along with dry smoked oak and black peppercorn. The blood orange and apple notes carry through to the finish in various formats, along with dry oak and leather. The apple brandy and mesquite smoked influence play a clear influence, the latter almost to a fault. The result is a love-it-or-hate-it single malt due to its vegetative opening and dry, smoked-infused finish.

This release won’t be for everyone. American single malt lovers who are looking for exposure to a flavor profile that is different, and clearly influenced by the whiskey's Southwest aging conditions, will be intrigued. Those just getting exposure to the category or looking for a bold apple brandy influence will most likely find this whiskey to be shocking. Love-it-or-hate-it, you can’t deny that this Santa Fe Spirits New Mexico Single Malt certainly stands out in the budding American single malt market.