New York Distilling Co. Straight Rye Finished in Apple Brandy Cask 2020 Single Cask #3 (Lost Lantern)

After pouring the sample that @jonwilkinson7309 was kind enough to provide, I went in for a nose and was overwhelmed by the high alcohol blast like a whiskey geyser just blew through my sinuses overpowering any notes. After several drops of water and about 15 minutes of resting, the whiskey geyser and proceeding to the glass with some caution, I found that the burn had settled down allowing the notes to shine through. The nose starts with a rye blast along with caramel apple that then fades to more of a baked apple pie along with stewed plums, cherries jubilee then candied ginger, nutmeg, and freshly baked pumpernickel bread with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a high rye spice that then fades vanilla ice cream topped slice of baked apple pie along with plum pudding, cherries jubilee before a medium drying spice comes in before transitioning to candied ginger, nutmeg, and freshly baked pumpernickel bread with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with apple cider, plums, cinnamon graham cracker and a drying rye spice. Overall, this is an enjoyable pour with bold flavors of rye and apple, but has some youthfulness and a high spice on the taste and finish that throws off the balance and experience. I’d really like to see what this could be if it was aged for a few more years which could remove those youthful flaws and balance out those spicy notes to be a really incredible rye, but will have to wait to see if New York Distilling or Lost Lantern will do a pick from some older stock later on.

Nose - baked apple, clove, allspice, mint, nutmeg, caramel, vanilla frosting, cherry, cranberry, plum, yeast, apple pie, black pepper, ginger, high ethanol burn. Taste - salted caramel, creamy vanilla, baked sour apple, cinnamon, allspice, clove, nutmeg, cocoa, black cherry, ginger, chili pepper, black pepper, spearmint, barrel spice, high alcohol bite, finishing medium long with baked apple, prickly pepper, mint, and baking spice flavors. Wow, this is some hot stuff. The apple brandy finish is present on the nose and palate, but it’s not heavy handed. It has more of a spiced apple pie quality. This is identifiable as a rye on the nose, but it’s indisputable when it hits the tongue. There’s mint, rye and baking spices, and strong pepper notes to negotiate on the palate. It’s certainly not for the faint of heart. As with the the Santa Fe bottling from Lost Lantern, the proof hits really hard. After taking the initial notes, I added a teaspoon of water to the glass to see how that affected it. The heat definitely subsided and more of the caramel and apple notes appeared. In fact, there’s a remembrance of Apple Jacks cereal from my childhood coming into focus. Overall, this is really good, but not great. The youth is again front and center in a way that detracts from the experience and makes me wonder what this would become with a few more years in the barrel. Many thanks to @jonwilkinson7309 for the pour. I’ll probably never encounter another apple brandy finished rye on my review journey.

Since I just got my COVID-19 vaccine jab#1, I wanted to appropriately celebrate the possibility of finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel—-I’m hoping at this point next year, we’ll all be back to normal ( maybe still once every year or two regular COVID jabs, like the flu vaccine). I chose this pour, graciously given to me by @jonwilkinson7309. Lost Lantern is a New England brand that bottles whiskey from those distilleries that aren’t as well known. Considering I got a Moderna vaccine, a pharma that’s just not well known (prior to this at least) like Pfizer, J&J, Merck, Sanofi, etc, I thought a pour from Lost Lantern would be appropriate. This is finished in apple brandy, but I’m not getting to much of the fall apple aroma. Seems to be a light touch. Instead aromas of baked goods are more upfront. The taste is mild on the rye, not in-your-face style like a Michters or Barrell. It’s subtle. I wouldn’t recommend this in a cocktail—-it’ll get overpowered. But the nuanced rye and baked bread flavor is nice on its own, neat without ice or water. Finally...at the finish, I get green apples! I’ve had apple brandy finishes before, but you always get the apples on the nose or taste, not on the finish. Leaves you with a feeling of biting into a Granny Smith . Well done...and unique. Thanks Jon for the pour!