Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon Review

Fortuna Barrel Proof
Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Barrel Proof
Rare Character
7+ Years Old
121.46 Proof
MSRP: ~$110
Review

Please enjoy our Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon review!

Fortuna Bourbon proudly states: “Decidedly of the finest quality” on its back label.

The Second Release From Fortuna Bourbon

Bottles of the revived Fortuna Bourbon brand from the Rare Character Whiskey Company have been around for a little while now, and I think many people have tried it, or at least seen it on store shelves. The initial release was at 102 proof, and the Barrel Proof version is the newest release. There’s no information about Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon on the Fortuna Bourbon website, but there is a brief mention of it on their Instagram page, which states it is “… a full strength version of the Fortuna blend you know and love”. I did enjoy the original Fortuna blend, so was eager to give this one a try.

Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon Blend

So what do we know about the Fortuna Bourbon blend? The initial release was said to have been a six barrel blend of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey from an undisclosed distillery, aged at least 6 years. According to the company, Fortuna Barrel Proof has a similar composition, but is bottled at barrel proof, uses barrels that are 7+ years old and was blended into 5 batches. Interestingly, the label says both “Barrel Proof” and “Cask Strength”, so clearly Rare Character wanted no confusion about what was in the bottle. Each of the five batches of Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon are bottled at a different proof. The bottle I am reviewing is from Batch 1.

The Fortuna Bourbon Brand

As far as the Fortuna brand itself, I had discussed its history briefly in my Fortuna Bourbon Review from January 2023. In a nutshell, modern day Fortuna Bourbon is a revival of an historic brand. The original brand was founded by Phil Hollenbach in the 1880’s and was last bottled in the 1950’s. The Fortuna brand was reintroduced by the folks at Rare Character in 2022.

Tasting Notes

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Sweet butterscotch and brown sugar; fairly sweet overall, cocoa; sweet white cake frosting; dark cherries later on; mild char; Ample alcohol vapor
👉🏻Taste: Fairly sweet; brown sugar is dominant; mild dry oak; earthiness, mild tannins
👉🏻Finish: White pepper spice; mild sweetness and earthiness lingers; mild char and dryness at the end; quite long; noticeable burn and deep warmth

The proof is not disguised in Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon. However, the bourbon has plenty of flavor as well. The nose is fairly sweet and rich, with butterscotch and brown sugar, subtle cocoa, sweet white cake frosting and dark cherries, later on. Peanuts were quite noticeable to me on one occasion, but not on the others. There is quite a bit of heat from the alcohol in the taste, with brown sugar dominant and mild tannins, dry oak and a background earthiness. The finish is very long, with quite a bit of heat and white pepper spice, with lingering sweetness and earthiness as well as mild char and dryness at the end.

Conclusion

Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon is a very enjoyable cask strength bourbon. The initial confectionery flavors are quite inviting, in spite of the noticeable alcohol. Rich flavors continue into the taste, with some welcome spice, mild char and dryness in the finish. The balance is very nice throughout, creating a flavorful bourbon that high proof whiskey fans should enjoy.

Have you tried Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon? What did you think?

We hope you have enjoyed our Fortuna Barrel Proof Bourbon review!

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