A Long-Awaited Bourbon Release Unlike Any Other
Fortuna Sour Mash Small Batch #1 (Bottled 9/22) Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($84.99)
“…this has all the presence and character of the great small batches from the big dogs but adds a level of nuance and complexity that’s rarely seen in modern bourbon.”
— David Othenin-Girard, K&L Spirits Buyer
This might be the most anticipated craft bourbon brand release of the year, and for so many good reasons. The team at the trailblazing bottler Rare Character is responsible for some of the most compelling new bourbons hitting the market, and Fortuna might just be the pinnacle effort of the whole project. Painstakingly recreated by master blender Pablo Moix from a legendary 19th-century whiskey of the same name, it isn’t merely a new run of juice made according to an original recipe. Instead, Pablo composes each six-barrel batch guided only by his own palate’s impression of the original Fortuna spirit itself, drawn from his own personal collection. It’s artisanal blending in the most authentic fashion. Distilled by one of the legacy Kentucky distillers (we can’t say by whom), the result is a sour mash spirit unlike any other. As David Othenin-Girard declares, “I’d be genuinely shocked if anyone else is taking so much time and energy to put together such a delicious product.” Supremely balanced yet decadent and packed with old-school bourbon character, Fortuna is everything we thought it would be when we first heard of its impending release. New brand releases with this kind of pedigree are unicorns, and this first batch of Fortuna is very likely set for legendary status down the road, so savvy collectors will want to take full advantage of the very first offering in California, before it inevitably sells out.
Fortuna Sour Mash Small Batch #1 (Bottled 9/22) Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (750ml) ($84.99)
K&L Notes: The Fortuna Brand was once one of the most sought-after and well regarded names in Kentucky. Founded by Phil Hollenbach in the 1870s and distilled at the once famous Glencoe Distillery, the Fortuna brand is finally back. Reimagined by the Rare Character team, Pablo Moix, Andy Shapira and Pete Nevenglosky, the goal of the brand has remained the same for more than a century—to share “the taste of good fortune.” Hollenbach was a legendary gentleman. Having emigrated from Germany in 1869, he was running a successful blender and bottler by the late 1870s. His partners, the Stitzle Bros., distilled Fortuna and Glencoe at the facility in Louisville until at least the early 1900s. The modern story is much the same. The greatest bourbon brands are great because of the exacting commitment to quality of their owners. There’s no question that Rare Character has been able to source top-tier juice for this special product. Beyond the quality of the spirit, each batch is carefully blended by Pablo Moix, one of the world’s most experienced palates, to mimic the character of an original bottling of the Fortuna brand. That’s right—Pablo meticulously puts each six-barrel batch head to head with the original Glencoe juice to get as close as humanly possible to that legendary pour. This is the first batch to be released and was bottled in September of 2022. We’re proud to be selling Fortuna in California, and we’re extremely excited to share this special product with our customers.
David Othenin-Girard | K&L Spirits Buyer | Review Date: September 21, 2022
The story behind the Fortuna brand is only eclipsed by the incredible quality of the spirit in the bottle. Re-established by Pablo Moix of the prominent Rare Character bottler, the original brand was once one of Kentucky’s most sought-after. Phil Hollenbach created the brand to share his “good fortune” with the world, and now we’re extremely grateful and lucky to do the same. Each tiny, six-barrel batch is hand-blended by Pablo. While he can’t tell us who is distilling for him, he can tell us who is not. The product is produced “on the shelf,” referring to the famous limestone shelf that makes bourbon country, and its water, so special. It’s not a sweet mash or a pot still, so not being sourced from any number of new distillers. So that leaves one of the legacy distillers, which to be honest is absolutely incredible on its own. There are no new brands that get access to stocks from legacy distillers—even ones that seem to have access from certain places are working through limited brokered stocks. But beyond the access that Fortuna has garnered, Pablo’s incredible breadth of tasting knowledge and experience is unprecedented. Here, Mr. Moix tries his hand at blending, and I have to say he’s hit an absolute home run. Guided by samples of the original stocks, which come out of his personal collection, Pablo carefully mingles these stocks with the goal of capturing the original character of this historic whiskey brand. I’d be genuinely shocked if anyone else is taking so much time and energy to put together such a delicious product. Let’s taste it! Right out of the bottle the nose is absolutely singing. Big, sweet aromas of marzipan, vibrant red cherry, caramel candies, Seville orange oil, roasted clove, and fresh-ground cinnamon. The nose is absolutely enchanting and exemplifies the goal of recreating the flavor profile you might expect from a pre-pro bottling. It even seems to have that little twinge of dustiness that I always associate with whiskies that have been in the bottle for many decades, albeit not to an overwhelming degree. On the palate, an extremely velvety texture and rounded mouthfeel, with even more cherries, candied now, plus gingerbread, sweet vanilla bean, brown sugar syrup, and baking spices of all kinds. The finish is long and very easy. No tannin or burn coming through whatsoever, but the ultra-sweet caramel character is tempered by a slight spicy bite. The key takeaway here is balance! So many whiskeys we drink these days are just absolute bombs, and this has all the presence and character of the great small batches from the big dogs but adds a level of nuance and complexity that’s rarely seen in modern bourbon. I guess that’s why they call it Rare Character. We’re all so FORTUNATE to have Pablo bringing these incredible barrels to our shelves and proud to be Fortuna’s first customer in California.
Michael Pires | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 23, 2022
This is one of the best sour mash bourbons I have ever tasted! The higher proof and oily texture give this bourbon more body, making it pleasant, balanced, and complex. Aromas of caramel, stone fruit, curaçao, and oak spice shine, and a little water opens this bourbon up nicely. A great sipper that would pair fantastically with a cigar.
Austin Jenkins | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 23, 2022
Wow, it’s not very often we get to encounter something so “new” and so refined. New is in quotation marks because Fortuna has a history. With that being said, however, this bottle is nothing to scoff at. The aromas just off the initial pour alone are enough to get the mouth watering; brown sugar and maple, with the most subtle char. The flavors are heavy on the warmed spice side but not so intense to the point of unbalance. It’s chased by caramel for a long-lasting finish. The texture is extremely silky. Even now as I’m writing this, I’m considering going back for a second dram. This is a legendary bottle produced by a soon-to-be (if not already) legendary team. I foresee this bottle sweeping out in the coming days. And considering at the time of posting this the juice was bottled only one day ago, so get it while it’s hot—or rather, get it while you can.
Illya Haase | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: September 22, 2022
I love Bourbon! I also lean towards high proof and a high-rye mash bill. But, sometimes one comes across my desk and shakes me out of my preference. The Fortuna shattered that preference! One word: balance. Water need not apply. From start to finish, it’s near perfection. It opens up with white honeysuckle just like the kind that we used to pick off the bushes in Kentucky. Fresh-cut wood and roasted peanuts. Candy caramel and butterscotch. That is just the nose. First sip is lively and bright with flavors of spearmint and baking spice. Mid-palate is heavy with wonderful array of creamy caramel and bright cherries. Balanced flavors, where nothing over takes the other. The finish is long with that Kentucky hug right down in the chest. Even though it is not a crazy high proof, it has an amazingly lengthy finish. I can hear it now. Well, “it is only a six year.” Like I say all the time, “I don’t really care how old it is, it has to be good!” And damn, this is good!
