Lost Lantern St. George 'Mountain Meadow' Single Malt Whiskey

An absolutely incredible entry into their Single Distillery Series, Lost Lantern worked with craft spirits pioneers St. George Spirits in Alameda, CA to create this special single malt release.  "Mountain Meadow" is composed of four barrels of St. George's single malt aged from 4.5 to 7.5 years in a combination of new oak, ex-bourbon, and ex-Tennessee Whiskey barrels.  The blend was bottled without chill filtration at a cask strength of 107 proof (barrel entry proof was a mere 105).  Only 600 bottles were produced.  The nose opens like your favorite IPA with hops, malt, and citrus upfront followed by guava nectar, caramel apple, and apricot.  On the palate, bright and juicy IPA flavors of hops and citrus are joined by apricot, green tea, vanilla, caramel, and fresh baked bread.  The bright fruit notes linger through the finish highlighted by orange, passion fruit, and apricot before fresh pine and jasmine tea add some earthy balance.  Lost Lantern says they sought to create a whiskey that "embodies the warmth, bounty, and freshness of California" and they nailed it - this is one of the best, most unique American single malts we've ever tried.