Lost Lantern has announced its first solo single cask drop. Featuring Ironroot Republic, 136 bottles of Cask #10 Ironroot Republic Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey is exclusively available on the Lost Lantern website.
Cask #10 is the second single cask Lost Lantern has presented from Ironroot Republic. In October 2020, when Lost Lantern launched their first cohort, Cask #4 Ironroot Republic Texas Straight Corn Whiskey Cask sold out within 20 minutes of the launch.
Single casks are an essential piece of the Lost Lantern model, inspired by the long tradition of independent bottlers in Scotland. The company releases highly limited, one-of-a-kind single casks consisting of unique and deeply expressive whiskeys produced by some of the finest distilleries in the United States.
Located on the north Texas plains in Denison, just a few miles south of Oklahoma, Ironroot Republic is squarely set in tornado country. During tornado season, pressure fluctuations create a unique environment that increases the interaction between the whiskey and its cask making this 3-year old straight bourbon whiskey complex with fully developed oak spice.
Last Lantern founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski initially visited Ironroot Republic back in October 2018 and promptly found themselves enamored with the distillery and the resulting whiskeys produced by the Likarish brothers. “Jonathan and Robert are known to experiment with rare heirloom strains of corn to bring out unique new flavors. They are one of the very few distilleries that pair their oak type, char, and toast with the specific corn varietals they’re using,” explained Nora and Adam. “This matching technique results in combinations of flavors that are perfectly matched between oak and grain, and often cultivates unique floral flavors that we rarely get to experience in bourbon.”
Lost Lantern Cask #10 Ironroot Republic Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey epitomizes the Likarish Brothers’ bespoke philosophy of matching heirloom strains with oak, char and toast. Made from 85% yellow dent corn, 5% purple corn, 5% flint corn, and 5% rye, Cask #10 was aged in a 53-gallon new American oak barrel for 3 years. While this pairing may seem traditional, it brings forth unique flavors that highlight the difference a small amount of heirloom corn can make. This cask is big, bold, and spicy, with a touch of delicate summer violets. The Bourbon is offered at natural cask strength (129.2 proof) and is non-chill filtered with no color added.
While Lost Lantern usually releases a collection of single casks, as they did in fall 2020 and spring 2021, Nora and Adam believe that releasing the occasional stand-alone special cask or bottling is a great way to drive excitement among people who are closely following what the independent bottler is doing throughout the year. “It’s an opportunity to shine a light on distilleries we love in a new way, while offering something special for dedicated Lost Lantern fans. We even have the opportunity to announce whiskies that are released almost simultaneously.”
This is indeed the case with Ironroot Republic Cask #10, which went on sale shortly after the announcement was made during an Instagram Live conversation between Nora, Adam and the Likarish Brothers. “It’s a wonderful whiskey from a distillery we’re very excited about, and we can’t wait until their and our dedicated fans get their hands on this delicious bourbon.”
Cask #10 Ironroot Republic Texas Straight Bourbon Whiskey is priced at $115 per bottle.
For more information or to purchase a bottle, head over to Lost Lantern’s website.
In January, we sat down with Adam and Nora to discuss the underexplored world of American Whiskey, the importance of independent bottlers, and the making of the brand’s first vatted malt.