If you’re into whiskey, you’ve probably heard all the rumblings about American single malt whiskey. The style isn’t new by any stretch but it’s finally catching fire in a real way. American single malt whiskey is dominating the conversation about what’s new and exciting in American whiskey right now. There’s just so much going on and it’s all so regional that it can be bewildering to keep up with, much less know where to start.
Let’s remedy that right now with one single bottle.
The San Francisco World Spirits Competition just released its Best in Class and Best Overall spirits awards. That list included the Best in Class American single malt whiskey and it’s a doozy of a pick. This year, the best American single malt whiskey in the whole wide world is a bespoke small batch by Lost Lantern of a classic Balcones Texas single malt aptly named “Gentle Giant”.
I was lucky enough to judge this year’s American single malts in San Francisco and I’m also very familiar with Balcones as an early adopter. To that end, I’m breaking down exactly what’s in the bottle. Long story short, this is a great whiskey so let’s just dive in!
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Lost Lantern Gentle Giant Balcones Distilling Texas Single Malt
ABV: 57.6%
Average Price: $100
The Whisky:
This rare blend from Balcones via Lost Lantern is a batch of five-and-a-half super rare casks. The batch is made from single malts aged in a four-year-old double cask apple brandy cask, a three-year-old large European cask that dried outside for three years, another one of those casks but just a little older, a four-year-old ex-bourbon cask, and a half-full European oak cask that was exactly three years and 56 days old when it was dumped.
All of that whisky was vatted and bottled as-is.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: This opens with Granny Smith apple skins over winter spice barks dipped in floral honey and dried next to orange wheels and Graham Crackers as a subtle hint of high-desert sage and mesquite lurk in the background.
Palate: The orchard-iness drives the palate with a sense of soft salted toffee cut with vanilla oils and dipped in dark chocolate orange sauce with a touch of roasted pecan and almond leading to a woody hint of old smudging sage and cedar bark.
Finish: Those orchard and desert woods mingle with soft caramelized malts that round out the finish with a hint of honeyed toffee and spiced apple fritter covered in buttery cinnamon icing.
Bottom Line:
This is a delicate and luscious pour of whiskey. It’s wholly unique. It’s way more a funky Southwest single malt than a dry bourbon or rye whiskey. It feels like its own thing with clear allusions to Scottish heritage buried deep within. Overall, this is a great on-the-rocks pour that’ll get you hooked on both American single malt and the beautiful malt whiskies coming out of Balcones down in Waco, Texas.
Where To Buy:
The current run was available via Seelbachs but is currently sold out. There were only 1,100 bottles made. As of right now, there are still bottles available directly from Lost Lantern for $100. There are also some available via California online retailers for the same price. Beyond that, you’re going to have to scope these out at very good whiskey bars.
Given the popularity of this small batch bottling, there might be another run in the works but don’t rely on that. Get this while you still can as this year’s award-winning version be gone for good soon. Good luck out there!