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Lost Lantern Single Cask Copperworks Distilling Washington Single Malt Whiskey Review

Can a single malt aged less than four years truly impress? This velvety, honey-rich PNW whiskey from Lost Lantern and Copperworks caught us completely off guard.

OVERALL RATING

9
$100
  • Jeffrey Nitschke is a Portland-based attorney passionate about whiskey and cigars, with deep ties to the American whisky community and culture.
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Tasting Notes

About:

Self-described whiskey nerds, Lost Lantern Whiskey co-founders Nora Ganley-Roper and Adam Polonski built their brand by hunting down whiskies no one has discovered and sharing the stories of distilleries they’re most excited about. Lost Lantern is an independent bottler, meaning they do not distill anything but instead acquire spirits from others to make unique blends and expressions.

Lost Lantern has three main categories: Blend series, which Lost Lantern uses to create unique blended expressions; the Single Distillery series, which is the same but blended from products of one distillery; and the Single Cask series, which “shine[s] a light on a single distillery through the lens of a single barrel of whiskey.” You can find a rich detail of the mash bill, age, and any other unique traits for each whiskey on Lost Lantern’s website, an uncommon practice which most connoisseurs appreciate.

The subject of today’s review is an expression from their Single Cask Series: the Copperworks Distilling Washington Single Malt Whiskey. As a resident of the American Pacific Northwest (“PNW”), this writer is a fan of Copperworks Distilling, which produces many expressions that highlight various parts of the PNW, whether it be a unique grain or a partnership with another PNW distillery or brewery. This expression is a Single Malt, a type of whiskey the PNW has also become known for, made from five malted barleys with different roast levels. It was aged for 3 years and 8 months and comes in at 120.6 proof.
Appearance:
Light orange with dusty brown.
Nose:
Sweet and spiced honey, slight herbal notes, oats and apricots.
Palate:
Sweet and smooth butterscotch and honeycomb. Oak and leather appear after quite a bit to fill our a rich palate, with vanilla dancing on the edges.
Finish:
A very quiet and subtle finish continues light honey and then a very light hint of bitter oak.
Comments:
An impressive offering from Lost Lantern with a very young PNW single malt. The whiskey completely catches you off guard with its smooth and sweet interior that has no weak points. The palate is velvety and rich, but clearly expresses the PNW style, sweeter and darker than most scotch aged in bourbon barrels, but much lighter than a bourbon counterpart.

The only reason this is not a ’10’ is because the finish drops off fairly quickly, something a few more years in a barrel might have helped. All in all, an incredible surprise.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Jeffrey Nitschke

Jeffrey Nitschke is Portland area attorney whose career has dovetailed with a love of fine spirits and cigars. His hometown is rich with microdistilleries, which has afforded him the opportunity to learn the nuances of whiskey tasting and whiskey making. His writing and enthusiasm for the hobby has led to lasting friendships with other whiskey aficionados and connisures across the United States.

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