Lost Lantern Desert Dessert Whiskey Del Bac Arizona Single Malt Review

Published on: May 25, 2023

85 General Review of Lost Lantern "Desert Dessert" Whiskey Del Bac Arizona Single Malt

I must start this review by saying I have limited experience with single-malt whiskeys. However, I will do my best to share my tasting notes in this Lost Lantern Desert Dessert Whiskey Del Bac Arizona Single Malt review. The first thing I notice about this whiskey, distilled and aged for 1 year in Tucson, Arizona, is that the alcohol percentage of 56.9% is right up my alley.

According to Lost Lantern, an independent bottler of American whiskey out of Vermont, the whiskey in this release was made with Whiskey Del Bac’s classic mesquite-smoked mash bill of 40% mesquite-smoked malted barley and 60% unsmoked malted barley. A portion of that whiskey was also finished in casks that previously held Sauternes, a sweet French wine from the region of the same name in the Graves section in Bordeaux, and Pineau des Charentes, the richly sweet regional aperitif of western France.

Lost Lantern Desert Dessert Whiskey Del Bac Arizona Single Malt
Sample provided by Lost Lantern with no expectations.

Rating: 85

Nose	86
Palate	86
Finish	85
Uniqueness	86
Value	79
Ratings breakdown based on a 100 point scale. 90-100 Exceptional 80-89 Very Good 70-79 Average 60-69 Below Average 50-60 Drain Pour

Detailed Tasting Notes

Nose Review - Rating: 86

The first thing I noticed on the nose was the density of the aromas. Lost Lantern Desert Dessert Whiskey Del Bac Arizona Single Malt has a very thick and chewy nose. By that, I mean that the smell is rich. It features notes of dense dried fruit, possibly golden raisins. There’s a fruitiness that even offers a hint of cherry. While you can smell the ethanol on the nose, it goes away after a minute or so. The smoky single malt comes to the fore after letting the glass sit for a moment without tasting it.

Palate Review - Rating: 86

Wow, the smokey malt is evident on the first sip, and the same density of flavor you get on the nose is on the palate. Next sip. Wow, again. The mouthfeel is exceptionally oily and thick, while the taste is a beautiful mesquite smoky sweetness. There is a slight saltiness and butterscotch sweetness that battle, but the sweetness lends itself more toward mesquite-smoked dried figs. I don’t think I’ve ever said that combination of words in any review. The flavors of Lost Lantern Desert Dessert Whiskey Del Bac Arizona Single Malt are so dense and intense that the 113.8 proof almost disappears. As I mentioned earlier, my exposure to single malts is somewhat limited, but I can say that I’ve never had a single malt with this dense flavor profile. Single malts always seem to have that unique “band-aid“ taste profile. That may seem like a strange description, but that’s the essence of the profile I get in a single malt. However, this unique single malt flavor works exceptionally well, considering the richness of the tasting experience.

Finish Review - Rating: 85

On the finish, the smoked woody oak is balanced by sweetness to create a fabulous finish that radiates from the back of the throat to the end of the esophagus while not burning.

Uniqueness Review - Rating: 86

The mesquite peated smokiness combined with dried fruit fruitiness create a wonderfully unique profile.

Value Review - Rating: 79

The MSRP is $100 but worth it for this unique tasting experience.

Author: Mark Pringle

Smell IS taste. I am just a guy who has been hit with the bourbon bug and who has come to the conclusion that life is too short to drink average tasting bourbons. Go Gators!

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