Scotch whisky has had independent bottlers since the 1800s — companies that buy casks from various distilleries and bottle them under their own name, often aging them in their own warehouses as well. Gordon & MacPhail, Duncan Taylor, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society and many others are almost as well known as the most famous distilleries, without necessarily distilling anything they bottle.
In the U.S., there are also plenty of what are known as “non-distiller producers.” Unlike the Scots, however, the Americans have tried to cover it up — making up backstories, deflecting, obfuscating, and basically doing whatever they can to distract us from the fact that their “craft” whiskey was in fact distilled at enormous facilities like MGP (now known as Ross & Squibb) in Indiana. Perhaps the most egregious offender was Templeton Rye, which in the early 2010s concocted the tall tale that their whiskey was made in Iowa from a special recipe that dated back to Prohibition, and was beloved by none other than Al Capone. In fact, it was distilled in Indiana, using one of MGP’s stock mashbills employed by a bunch of other brands.
Fortunately, sourcing whiskey from outside distilleries is no longer the scandal it once was, since the industrial-sized places in Indiana, Tennessee and Kentucky generally do it very well. It’s become a point of pride for brands like Proof & Wood and Smooth Ambler to mention exactly what they’re sourcing, and from where. And that’s a good thing. But Lost Lantern, launched in 2020 by a former manager at New York’s Astor Wine & Spirits and a senior whisky specialist at Whisky Advocate magazine, is one of the only American indies to do things the way the Scots do it, buying casks directly from distilleries and highlighting those distilleries on the bottles.
486 bottles, 5 distilleries, 1 region — the American Midwest — and 1 terrific whiskey.
Rather than work with the big boys, Lost Lantern searches out the best of the smaller independent distilleries strewn throughout the country. They also work directly with the distillers — who, in these early years of American craft distilling, are often the founders as well — to create unique expressions and blends in addition to buying casks.
For its latest series, Lost Lantern is exploring some of the finest indie distilleries in the Midwest, rolling out half a dozen single-cask bourbons, ryes and wheat whiskeys from some of the bigger names in the region, like FEW Spirits in Illinois and Cedar Ridge in Iowa, as well as lesser-known gems from the likes of Wollersheim in Wisconsin and Ohio’s Middle West Spirits. They’ve also created a blended whiskey, Far Flung Rye. All of them are worthy of discussion, but because more bottles of Far Flung Rye exist (486, compared with 132-203 for the single casks), you’ve got a better chance of tracking it down. So with that in mind....
Far Flung Rye is a blend of rye whiskeys, aged between 4-9 years, from five Midwestern distilleries: Cedar Ridge; Middle West Spirits; Wollersheim; Indiana’s Starlight Distillery; and Tom's Foolery from Ohio. Bottled undiluted and non-chill filtered at 60.8% ABV, it’s intense and spicy, not for the faint of heart or weak of palate. Rich dark chocolate notes and malty undertones combine with faint grassiness and hints of rye bread. As can be expected with such a high-proof spirit, it’s bold and a little hot, but a few drops of water bring down the heat without diluting the flavor. With so few bottles in existence and a $100 price tag (suggested, at least), I don’t know if I’d suggest making a cocktail with it. but it does make a spectacular, desserty Black Manhattan.
Far Flung Rye is an excellent entry point for the oft-overlooked Midwestern spirits scene, and it’s a nifty whiskey for rye fans of any region. In case you don’t see it at your local liquor store — and chances are you won’t — check out the Lost Lantern site to find availability.
