Heavy baking spices | Burnt caramel | Heavy charred oak | Brown sugar | Faint orange chocolate | Touch of ethanol

Rye spice | Creamy caramel | Cinnamon spice | Nutmeg | Dry oak | Burnt orange

Charred oak | Leather | Rye spice | Baking spices | Hint of burnt caramel | Lingering dry oak & burnt spiced caramel

Lost Lantern United States of Bourbon 1776 Edition pays tribute to America’s 250th birthday in a unique way. To mark the occasion, the company bottled a one-off 1776 blend using bourbons sourced from the 13 states that were the first in the union. This limited edition bourbon is a subset of the company’s more ambitious inaugural United States of Bourbon releases, which feature a blend of bourbon from all 50 states at two different proofs.

The bourbons used in this release range in age from 4-8 years and were specifically chosen for this blend. Adam Polonski, co-founder and Head of Whiskey Sourcing at Lost Lantern, states, “From the earliest stages of dreaming up Lost Lantern, we envisioned crafting a fifty-state blend to showcase the diversity and breadth of bourbon. Shortly after, in 2021, we began sourcing barrels specifically for this whiskey, work that continued through 2025. I have visited and vetted every distillery in this blend in person.”

The resulting bourbon is rich, with a heavy emphasis on baking spices and various oak notes. It kicks off with an aroma that emphasizes this point up front, thanks to scents of heavy baking spices and charred oak that mingle with burnt caramel, brown sugar, and faint orange chocolate. A touch of ethanol is present, but not so much as to detract from the rest of the aroma. Moving to the midpoint reveals various spices, creamy caramel, and dry oak. A burnt orange note adds intrigue and leads you to a finish that focuses on charred oak, leather, and spices before morphing to a lingering dry oak and burnt spiced caramel note.

It’s ambitious to blend bourbon from multiple states, especially when the distilleries chosen each have very distinct flavor profiles. Amazingly enough, the blend comes together pretty well. I found the company’s 50-state blend, particularly the cask strength version, to be slightly more balanced, which can be attributed to the use of both older bourbons in the blend and to the greater number of barrels that help even out flavor fluctuations. That said, Lost Lantern United States of Bourbon 1776 Edition is a great bourbon at the end of the day, thanks to its focus on spices and oak. Credit to Lost Lantern for creating a unique bourbon that truly represents the birth of a nation.

‍The bourbon in review is bottle number 726 of 1776.

‍‍*Participating Distilleries in United States of Bourbon 1776 Edition (listed in order of statehood)

‍‍Painted Stave Distilling (DE), Liberty Pole Spirits (PA), Sourland Mountain Spirits (NJ), ASW Fiddler Distillery (GA), Litchfield Distillery (CT), Triple Eight Distillery (MA), Baltimore Spirits Co. (MD), High Wire Distilling Co. (SC), Cathedral Ledge Distillery (NH), Reservoir Distillery (VA), Kings County Distillery (NY), Broad Branch Distillery (NC), South County Distillers (RI)