Black pepper | Rye spice | Leather | Light heat

Seasoned oak | Black pepper | Oak tannins | Rye spice | Graham cracker | Toasted marshmallow | Leather

Baking spices | Brown sugar | Caramel | Apple pie | Lingering spice

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. Cedar Ridge is a family-owned distillery located in Swisher, Iowa. Lost Lantern has released a number of single barrels sourced from Cedar Ridge that have included both bourbons and ryes, and has utilized barrels from Cedar Ridge in past blends.

On the nose healthy amounts of black pepper and rye spice are underscored by leather and delivered with light heat. The palate comes alive, driving the bourbon’s savory side effectively with seasoned oak, oak tannins, black pepper, and rye spice at the forefront. Hints of graham cracker, toasted marshmallow, and leather complement but remain subtle. A surge of baking spices followed by sweeter notes of brown sugar, caramel, and apple pie resolves the finish, which leaves a lingering spice aftertaste.

Overall, this is a good bourbon and a prime example of Cedar Ridge’s style, which tends to veer into the more savory, oaky side of the bourbon flavor spectrum. Lost Lantern 2025 Single Cask #14: Cedar Ridge Iowa Straight Bourbon could be characterized by how well it dials in black pepper spice and that more savory side of oak with prominent seasoned oak and oak tannins at the midpoint. It drinks a little higher than its proof suggests, but if that’s not your jam, a splash of water tempers it nicely.

Lost Lantern Cedar Ridge Iowa Straight Bourbon is a 223 bottle release.