Juicy green apple | Cinnamon | Christmas spices | Apricot

Stewed apples | Dark cherry | Aged oak | Rye spice | Cinnamon

Warming spice mix | Apple | Brown sugar | Lingering spice

This is Lost Lantern’s first release from Finger Lakes Distilling, which is located on the southeast side of Seneca Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes wine region and is known for its McKenzie brand. Non-chill filtered and bottled at a low cask strength of only 91.7 proof, this rye was aged for 6 years in new charred oak and then finished for 3 months in a Pommeau cask. Pommeau is a blend of apple brandy and fresh apple juice from Finger Lakes Cider House, located about 25 minutes northeast of Finger Lakes Distilling.

The whiskey’s low barrel proof suggests it might be more tepid than typical releases from Lost Lantern Spirits, but that isn’t the case, as this whiskey is full of flavor. It’s apple-forward throughout, with juicy green apple, cinnamon, Christmas spices, and a touch of apricot on the nose. Stewed apples introduce the palate, followed by dark cherry and aged oak, with accents of rye spice and cinnamon. As it rounds into the finish, a warming spice mix is followed by apple and brown sugar, with lingering spice capping off the long finish.

Overall, this whiskey is anything but familiar, starting with New York Distilling’s rye base, which is already a unique-tasting Upstate New York rye. Finishing in Pommeau barrels brings a lot of apple flavor into the mix, but the base rye holds up well against it, providing a solid structure. The result is a release from Lost Lantern that highlights their unique ability to discover unusual whiskey flavor profiles that exemplify a particular region.

Lost Lantern Single Cask #5 is a 205 bottle release.