Copperworks 3 Year (2019), Lost Lantern 2022 Release
Whisky: Copperworks 3 Year (2019), Lost Lantern 2022 Release
Country/Region: United States/Washington
ABV: 58.5%
Cask: New American Oak, #3 Char
Age: 3 Years (Distilled 2019, Bottled 2022)
Nose: Dried fruits and florals with big lacquered wood, subtle maritime brine with tobacco, ogo (seaweed), linseed and mineral oil, and peppery berry jam.
Palate: Medium-bodied and tannic, cured wood, wood and mineral oils, subtle dried fruits and florals, brown sugar with hints of nuttiness, lacquered wood, peppery and spirited toward the end, exotic berries with hints of herbal tobacco, slightly sour herbal quality.
Finish: Medium to long and drying as a slightly sour herbal quality carried on with oak and subtle fruits.
Score: 5-6 (76)
Mental Image: Foraged Fall Flavors
Narrative & Notes: The aroma drifted between a bubbling pot of floral potpourri and a beachside stroll. Dried tropical fruits and date jam arrived with lacquered wood and wood oils— linseed oil stood out at times. Salty, crisp ogo developed with a lovely soft brine, hints of tobacco, and a peppery spiced berry jam. Medium-bodied and tannic, the flavor profile featured ample cured hardwood and wood oils alongside more subtle fruits, florals, and herbs. Brown sugar and a subtle nuttiness developed with lacquered wood and mineral oils, the kind one might use for polishing the banisters. A peppery punch popped with some spirited heat toward the end as hints of exotic berries, ʻōhelo or sea buckthorn maybe, emerged with subtle tobacco. The finish was medium to long and drying with a slightly sour herbal quality that carried on with oak and subtle fruits.
I had high hopes for this one, and maybe my expectations were too inflated. Despite the new oak maturation, this did not cross the line into the oak brutalist approach I associate with producers who try to emulate bourbon profiles with their single malts. Still, I wish the oak were toned down further as it dominated the experience, lending the whisky an intense tannic mouthfeel and an astringent finish.
Overall, I am not sure anyone matches Copperworks’ willingness to share production details, especially the mashing and fermentation of different barley varietals. Their emphasis on grain shows through clearly in some of the interesting and unique flavors that emerge from the otherwise wood-driven experience. This release, for instance, was distilled entirely from single-farm Baronesse barley grown at Joseph’s Grainery in Colfax, Washington, and is emblematic of the distillery’s approach to whisky.
Image Credit: Lost Lantern
