Lost Whiskey Club - High Wheat Gold Antler

This appears to be a new player in the whiskey market, which I was persuaded to purchase after a pleasant conversation about whiskey with a manager at my local ABC store, and her endorsement, coupled with a desire to support a small craft distillery operating here in Virginia, with an entry price of $30 for a 375ml. From the information I gathered, the mash bill consists of 51% corn, 45% rye, and 4% malted barley. It has been aged for no more than 5 years, as the distillery was founded in 2016, and it's bottled at 45% ABV. The bottle includes a nice leather tag that you can pull to remove the plastic seal on top, featuring a barrel and story number for you to record in a whiskey journal alongside the bottle and story as it's being consumed. The marketing suggests these are bottled in 375ml containers to encourage drinking the entire bottle in one session with companions, implying they're aiming for a 'get wasted around a bonfire' vibe. Well, it's time to open my bottle, which is number 30 and story number 336, and see if it's palatable enough for me to channel my inner drunken frontiersman or if it should be poured down the drain. The aroma begins with chocolate-covered cookies, followed by charred orange peel and a caramel cinnamon apple fritter, then strong rye spices, along with nutmeg, cloves, spearmint, and roasted peanuts still in their shells, with a mild ethanol burn. The taste presents a thin to medium mouthfeel, starting with a caramel-covered s'mores sandwich, followed by apple peel and orange zest flavors, before a moderate spice, and finally transitioning to barrel spices of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, subtle spearmint chewing gum, and light oak, with a moderate ethanol burn. The finish is of medium duration, featuring toasted marshmallow, peanuts in their shells, graham cracker, milk chocolate, orange zest, apple coffee cake, spearmint, dill, and a hint of oak spice. So, this isn't a whiskey that inspires stripping down naked, running wild outdoors, and chasing Bigfoot, but it is quite enjoyable, offering toasted marshmallow flavors alongside traditional bourbon characteristics and prominent rye notes. It's incredibly easy to drink without any tannic bitterness or youthful harshness, making it perfectly enjoyable with friends. This flavor profile seems vaguely familiar, so a search of my whiskey collection led to a side-by-side comparison with my Nulu toasted bourbon, aged for 5 years and 2 months, and this tastes remarkably similar. I then grabbed what was left of my Smoke Wagon Small Batch, and it was nearly an identical match. This doesn't seem to be a Virginia distillate; it's more likely sourced MGP aged in Virginia. If I'm mistaken, then I'm impressed that this Virginia distillate can mimic good young MGP, and they deserve recognition for crafting something highly enjoyable for a new distillery.

These single barrel tastings can vary significantly. This particular review concerns Barrel #01, a straight bourbon whiskey at 90 proof. Aroma: Herbal, somewhat musky, with honey and nuts. A strong ethanol burn is present, giving it a potpourri-like scent. Flavor: Sweet, straightforward, with some spice and a nutty character. It's evident that this is a young spirit. Finish: A slight burn and some tannins. This is a basic whiskey from a new distillery seeking revenue. It's a respectable first attempt, but requires more barrel aging. I would certainly try their older expressions as the distillery matures. I would gladly accept some.

Barrel 111 story 206 Anticipated this for a significant period, eventually purchased it when it was discounted. Notes include vanilla, caramel, and oak. Potentially some blackberry as well. The taste is somewhat sharp given the rather modest abv. Oak that has been toasted, caramel, and fruit that is dried.

Smooth and pleasant with a very subtle character. It's somewhat difficult to identify specific flavors as nothing stands out strongly. A very enjoyable bourbon, and perhaps a second bottle would reveal more. I had Barrel No. 93 and Story No. 262.

This spirit packs a punch neat. Served over ice, the intensity lessens but it remains fiery.

Good, reminiscent of Maker's Mark, but too expensive at $30 for a 375ml bottle.