Banana Laffy Taffy | Vanilla | Charred oak | Toasted caramel | Incredibly light scents

Spiced honey | Light vanilla | Black peppercorn | Watery oak | Thin mouthfeel

Rye spice | Dry oak | Leather | Black peppercorn spice | Short & incredibly dry

Fort Mosé Bourbon is steeped in rich Florida history. Named after the town that shares its name, Fort Mosé, Florida, was established in 1738, 2 miles outside St. Augustine, Florida. The town became the first settlement and town in which black people could live free. In 2021, Victor G. Harvey, the Founder and CEO Victor George Spirits, acquired a majority interest in Palm Beach Distillery, which was Florida’s first female owned distillery. The entrepreneur states that his “goal is to be the largest Black-Owned spirits company in the world.” While Fort Mosé is produced at Palm Beach Distillery located in West Palm Beach, Florida, the whiskey currently being bottled is a sourced bourbon. Interestingly, compared to the company’s rye whiskey, Fort Mosé 1738 Bourbon is not labeled as straight.

The sip starts on a visual note, with the color of the bourbon giving off a light straw hue, which is somewhat surprising, seeing as the company states it’s aged 4 years. The nose is incredibly light, leading with banana Laffy Taffy, along with more traditional scents, but only after a deep inhale and concentration to find them. The midpoint is better comparatively, thanks to a pleasing spiced honey note, however, it is still thin in stature due to the delivery of the other flavors present. Ending on notes of spice and dry flavors, the finish is short and incredibly dry, erasing any goodwill that the palate built up. Overall, Fort Mosé 1738 Bourbon is lacking in its current state and has a hard time standing out amongst a sea of other sourced bourbons in the market. It’ll be interesting to see how it tastes once it stops being sourced and is distilled at Palm Beach Distillery instead.