Bright & lively | Punchy malt | Malt-forward | Lemon zest | Citrus

Lemon | Black pepper | Malty | Bright fruit presence | Apricot | Green apple

White peppercorn spice | Malty undertone persists | Unique

Lost Lantern is known primarily for their single barrel releases, which so far have been released in collections featuring multiple distilleries. However, their Single Distillery Series aims to expand the availability of the company’s products. According to their press release, “Each release in the Single Distillery Series is a blend of multiple casks all sourced from a single distillery. These whiskies allow the Lost Lantern blending team to deeply explore what makes a distillery unique and special, often by bringing together flavors in a new way and showing a new perspective on a distillery.” This particular series focuses on two distilleries: Whiskey Del Bac in Tucson, Arizona and Balcones Distilling in Waco, Texas. Each release in the series is an American single malt.

“Gentle Giant” from Balcones Distilling is a 3 year old single malt that clocks in just over 115 proof. It’s bright and lively on the nose, with punchy malt accented by lemon zest and citrus. The fruit notes pull forward more prominently on the palate, which keeps its malty base and lemon note but adds apricot and green apple in waves. A light white peppercorn spice emerges in the finish.

The overall combination of flavors is unusual, even within the growing American single malt category. At times the malt and fruit notes feel like they’re competing with each other, which brings a punchiness that will be polarizing among consumers. It’s one of the more unique tasting whiskeys I’ve tasted in a while, and while it won’t be universally enjoyed, I like it for the fact that it brings additional depth to the category.

The bottle being reviewed is edition number BAL-1.