Simply Fortuitous

Yazoo Fortuitous
Sampled: May 24, 2012

Thank goodness for infected porter. Without a batch of Yazoo’s Sue Smoked Porter accidentally infused with lactobacillus, Fortuitous would have never existed.

Released in tiny amounts at a brewery lottery, only a handful of bottles got out. Thanks to Sean, a fellow beer lover who attended the lottery, I got a taste of rare local ale.

Black as crude, Fortuitous bursts on the nose with smoked malt, molasses and chicory. Wedged among them is an ever-so-slight sour trace. The smoked malt imparts a solid finger or two of cherry. That cherry character helps Fortuitous to evolve beyond its porter origins.

After a few passes, a delicate mustiness emerges. Fortuitous had more similarities with geuze than I expected. A porter base won’t keep a good sour down.

There are hints of sourness and oxidation that recall port and sherry. Closing my eyes, it could be hard to discern the difference. I would not have expected dark sour ales to border on port territory, but the similarity in flavor profile cannot be denied. Smoked malts give them a little cover and reward those who wait for Fortuitous’ payoff. The smoke at times reminds me of a Wee Heavy, but the sour pulls me in other directions.

The contrasts expand Fortuitous’ horizons. The sour character serves as more of a backdrop, as an invisible hand guiding the other flavors. This isn’t La Folie or an Epic Ales dark sour. Don’t expect anything lip-puckering – at first, Fortuitous demands a hunt for its sour facets. It’s unique beer born outside stylistic boundaries.

Smoke and sour collide in unusual ways, each giving the other room to breathe. The sour lightly coats the palate; the smoke boosts its complexity. The body also presents a fair amount of chocolate and more molasses. It’s rich, but relatively unique among sour ales.

As long as Yazoo keeps pushing the envelope with ales like Fortuitous, I won’t soon abandon Nashville’s flagship brewery. For all the commotion about the limited release, Yazoo plans another round of Fortuitous blended and aged in a Collier & McKeel whiskey barrel. Fortuitous is worth a visit in any vintage, even at $20 per 750-milliliter capped bottle.

I applaud Yazoo’s ingenuity. Look at the amazing beer that emerged from a batch of smoker porter considered spoiled. Fortuitous indeed.