Ironroot Republic Texas Straight Bourbon Single Cask #10 (Lost Lantern)

Nose: rich floral notes, butterscotch, grilled corn, vanilla cream, sweet dough, baked apple, fig, apricot, orange zest, lemon, polished oak, powdered sugar, coffee, grass, chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, mint, macadamia nut, sweet tobacco, clay, moderate ethanol burn. Taste: apricot, apple, butterscotch, vanilla, chili pepper, rich floral notes, fig, leather, tobacco, cinnamon, grass, allspice, nutmeg, clove, dark chocolate, orange, lemon, pecan, walnut, spearmint, rich oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing long with ripe fruit, dark chocolate, grassy floral, and baking spice flavors. The nose greets you with a deep floral quality, followed up with grassy citrus and stone fruit aromas. There’s also a combination that reminds me of white chocolate macadamia nut cookies hot from the oven. The palate is extremely rich. More of those floral and citrus notes arrive with chocolate, baking spices, and nuts presenting through the development. The mouthfeel is thick and oily, leading to a satisfyingly long finish that doesn’t veer off in any unpleasant directions. Lost Lantern has delivered another stunning single cask from Ironroot Republic with this one. I’m not sure whether it’s quite as good as the previous, but it’s pretty close. Like Texas whiskey in general, the Ironroot profile may not be for everyone. It’s rich, fruity, and floral, improving upon the Harbinger release in every way. At around three years old and 120.6 proof (the quoted ABV is incorrect), it’s surprisingly gentle and doesn’t taste particularly young, although I’m thinking the youth is masked by that fruity citrus and chili pepper zing. A bit more age would have probably improved it, but this is outstanding in its current form. Ironroot Republic is a distillery to keep your eyes on. And Lost Lantern continues to release truly exceptional independent bottlings from these lesser known producers. Starting tomorrow, I’ll be reviewing two more Lost Lantern single cask releases.

The scent opens with butterscotch and caramel, like it was poured over hot pancakes fresh from the griddle, followed by chocolate-covered pecans. Then come notes of cooked cinnamon apples, figs, and Morello cherry jam, fading into fresh vanilla bean before transitioning to the aromas of black pepper, ginger, cloves, fine leather, and polished oak, with a strong alcohol presence. The flavor has a thick texture, starting with caramel popcorn, candied pecans, and peanuts. This is followed by cinnamon apple crumb cake, figgy pudding, and cherries jubilee. Next is a medium spice with a Mexican-spiced blonde espresso mocha latte, which fades to a light vanilla milkshake, along with notes of black pepper, ginger, cloves, fine leather, and polished oak, and a strong alcohol presence. The long finish features Mexican-spiced blonde roast mocha latte, sautéed caramel apples, orange zest, whipped honey butter on cornbread, fine flour, cloves, ginger, leather, and polished oak. Wow, this is a substantial, powerful, and impressive Texas whiskey that really intensifies those flavors with good balance, though it gets a bit too spicy in the middle before fading and bringing back those bold flavors for a lengthy, lingering finish that lasts for minutes. This is significantly better than the Harbinger, and I need to pay more attention to Lost Lantern’s Ironroot selections, as this is the second one I’ve had the pleasure of trying, highlighting their skill in discovering exceptional barrels. Many thanks to a friend for the Ironroot samples to compare.

Compared to the Harbinger, this strikes me as much more similar to something from Kentucky. Caramel apple, cherry, cinnamon. I'm not detecting any of the funk that I noticed in the Harbinger. There's wood, but it's not overly tannic or overpowering, which can sometimes happen with these Texas whiskies. If I were tasting this blind, I would have guessed this was 1792 Full Proof, which I haven't actually tried, but it tastes like what I imagine 1792 FP should taste like. Thanks again to a friend for this sample. A really enjoyable pour. I'm planning to visit the distillery soon and hope I can find something that tastes like this one.

Sampled neat in a Glencairn: Nose presents dry, astringent oak with cherry and subtle vanilla. Palate offers roasted corn and vanilla with cinnamon and more cherry, akin to cherry cough syrup (but in a positive way). Finish is mellow with gentle wood spice.