Cherry cordial | Light oak | Vanilla caramel | Black forest cake | Faint baking spices | Dessert-like sweetness

Baking spices | Rye spice | Peppercorn spice | Black cherry | Light vanilla cream | Spice-forward

Dry oak | Leather | Vanilla bean | Slight ashiness | Undulating rye spice

Lost Lantern’s mission is “shining light on the independent spirit,” which translates to independent bottlings featuring craft distilleries. While New Riff has quickly grown in popularity over the last several years, they still put out a fraction of the whiskey compared to larger players in the industry. Limited to just 196 bottles, their 2023 Single Cask #13 from New Riff is a follow-up to their 2023 Single New Riff #10 from New Riff.

This particular cask allows consumers to see the vast variation that is available in New Riff single barrels. Opening with a heavy dessert-like aroma, the nose presents a delicious blend of cherry cordial, black forest cake, and vanilla caramel scents that mingle alongside faint baking spices. While the palate and finish don’t quite live up to the buildup that the nose presents, they still help guide the sip to a nice finish. The midpoint presents more spice-forward notes that align with its higher rye grain content along with a distinctive black cherry note, with the finish focusing on bold undulating spice to bring things to a close. The barrel nicely highlights New Riff Distilling and will please those bourbon drinkers looking for a high rye content bourbon who enjoy a touch of sweetness.