As a student of Greco-Roman Mythology I was immediately intrigued by a rum named after the goddess of Fortune. Fortuna would spin her wheel and the results could bring a person a life time of good or bad luck. This rum is named in tribute to the land the sugar cane comes from, which is blessed with the perfect amount of rain and sun. Fortuna Ron Reserva Exclusiva is a blend of eight to ten year old rums from Nicaragua. The rum is the product of sugar cane harvested on site, column distilled five times, and aged in American white oak.
Appearance/Presentation
The squat green glass bottle has a burgundy and gold neck label with a tan and gold front and back label. The front provides the basic information, while the back shares the legend of the rum and its ties to the Goddess Fortuna. There is not much information about the rum on the label.
In the glass the liquid has a nice straw color that holds copper hues as the light cuts through it.
Nose
Swirling the glass I detect hints of pepper, oak, with a base of sweet fruit.
Palate
First sip reveals an unexpected honey note with a slight touch of lemon hanging in the middle. This is followed by a creamy spiced banana flavor that envelops the taste buds, warming the palate. An astringent spice note lingers into the finish.
Review
Eight year old rums can be tricky and Fortuna is no exception. I found the aroma pleasant but not particularly complex. The smoothness on the palate was fun with the lemon-honey and creamy banana notes. The finish was a little bumpy with the astringency but did not take away from the rum being a good option as a sipping rum. Comparing the flavor to other eight year old rums, neat and mixed, I discovered Fortuna's character really shined.
On the web side of things the rums website www.ronfortuna.com has a cool product locator. Just hit the "Find Your Fortuna" button and all the stores in your area that have the rum are featured. A steal at $20.00, this is an easy option for entertaining guests and creating cocktails. We developed a special one for the review, a riff on an Old Fashioned called "What Goes Around". Cheers!
What Goes Around
2 oz Fortuna Rum
1/2 oz Santa Teresa Rhum Orange Liqueur
Stir with ice.
2-3 dashes Novo Fogo Cherribiscus bitters
Garnish with cherry and orange peel
Score 8.75 out of 10 Tikis.         
(Appearance 1.5, Nose 1.5, Palate 5.75)
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