Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Blended (Del Bac + Santa Fe Spirits).
Bottler: Lost Lantern.
Region: Southwest USA.
ABV: 57%. Cask strength.
Age: NAS but components reported 1-4 years. Bottled in 2023.
Cask type: Vatting of ex-bourbon + new/used American oak finished in Pineau des Charentes casks.
Price: $90 USD for 750mL.
Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 7 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point (no substantial difference at the heel.)
Nose: pink cherries, roasted corn, mellow and light smoke, spun sugar, red berries, water pushes it much fruitier, a little more woody, herbs in the background.
Palate: full-bodied ~ follows through with more roasted corn and red berries, stronger mesquite smoke here, sagebrush, chili flakes, pink peppercorns, more spun sugar.
Finish: medium length ~ black pepper, oak tannins, water brings out chilis and vanilla, mesquite smoke lingers longer over time.
Conclusion: Del Bac and Santa Fe, both Southwest US distilleries, specialize in drying malted barley using smoke from local mesquite brush—with this blended malt, Lost Lantern coined the word ‘mesquited’ as an analogue to ‘peated’ to differentiate the American smoke element here. The Del Bac component of the blend was reportedly 1 year old, aged in a mix of new/used American oak and finished in Pineau des Charentes fortified wine casks, while the Santa Fe component was 3-4 years old and aged entirely in ex-bourbon American oak.
I’m very fond of Santa Fe’s single malt in its various forms, and so my curiosity was instantly piqued when I found out about this blended malt—and I immediately went to buy one after tasting it, because it’s just delicious. The mesquite smoke contributed by both distilleries is really engaging, but also well-integrated in a medley of sweet red fruits (perhaps accentuated by the Pineau des Charentes), wood spice, chilis, sagebrush, and roasted corn. Even at 57%, it works well both neat and with water added to peel back a few layers.
All said, there’s some quality blending on display here. I’ve enjoyed a number of offerings from Lost Lantern as they’ve grown the past few years—this may be the first of their bottles I’ve actually owned, but I doubt it will be the last.
Final Score: 86.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 