Corn nuts | Sandalwood | Brown sugar | Roasted nuts | Pie crust | Charred oak | Rich

Rich oak | Hefty dark chocolate | Brownie mix | Faint cinnamon stick | Light leather | Concentrated baking spices | Dense rich flavors

Leather | Chocolate cake | Aged chewy charred oak | Pleasing

Lost Lantern’s latest five single barrel release marks the company’s fifth anniversary and revisits the original distilleries that they initially launched with in 2020.

Ironroot Republic is located in Denison, Texas, a small city just south of the Oklahoma border, about 75 miles north of Dallas. The company was founded by brothers Robert and Jonathan Likarish, and their mother Marcia manages daily operations. They started distilling in August 2014, use a pot still, and dozens of different varieties of corn, taking advantage of local terroir.

This anniversary release has two unusual traits for a Lost Lantern release. The first being that Cask #13 is the first time the company has released a double barrel bourbon. Not only that, but the bourbon they chose to use also utilizes a second new charred oak barrel rather than a more commonly used oak barrel. The other is that this bourbon is lower proof, especially for a Texas whiskey, and not actually cask strength. The company states, “that’s because the Ironroot Republic team had actually started slow proofing this in barrel when the Lost Lantern team selected it.”

Cask #13 can be summed up in two words: dense flavors. This bourbon is rich in flavors through and through, beginning with a rich aroma that immediately draws you in, thanks to scents of corn nuts, pie crust, and charred oak. The midpoint is divine, and will have you pausing to appreciate the rich oak and hefty dark chocolate that mixes with baking spices. Finishing with a pleasing finish that pulls in aged charred oak and chocolate cake into a chewy ending, the sip concludes on a high note. Not releasing this as a cask strength product clearly served the bourbon well, as its proofed down flavor profile is honed in and highlights a great flavor profile without coming across as over-oaked. A rare thing to experience for a Texas bourbon that experienced two new oak barrels during its creation.

Lost Lantern 2025 Single Cask #13: Ironroot Republic Double Barrel Texas Bourbon is a 207 bottle release.