For our review: Any non-alcoholic bottle we review is compared to other non-alcoholic spirits. Therefore, our ratings system does not translate to alcoholic spirits. For example, an 8 out of 10 for a non-alcoholic bottle is not going to be a one-for-one replacement for an 8 out of 10 alcoholic spirit.

Lyre’s Traditional Reserve: The Story

For our ‘best Non-Alcoholic Whiskey for an Old Fashioned’ taste test, we bought eight different whiskey alternatives. After learning about Lyre’s, we knew that it had to be part of the test. So when we found out that they had two different whiskey alternatives (the Traditional Reserve and the American Malt) we knew we had to get both.

Knowing that its American Malt cousin – which we already reviewed – was a good option, we had high expectations for the Traditional Reserve. But how would it stack up? Let’s dive into it and see what it has to offer.

Nose

Sweet, with vanilla leading the charge.

Palate

The palate is slightly bitter upfront but transitions nicely to notes of brown sugar and vanilla.

Finish

Finish has a touch of spice that you can feel in the back of the throat with a fair amount of citrus, vanilla and baking spice. Touch of smoke stays on the tongue.

Verdict

As far as NA whiskey alternatives go, this was very enjoyable. In fact, when trying this in an Old Fashioned, it was a fairly close substitute to a spirited Old Fashioned (and that’s saying a lot, compared to the competitors we tried). I’d say it would be like an Old Fashioned but after several minutes of dilution.

We’re giving Lyre’s Traditional Reserve a 7.9/10. Cheers!