I.W. Harper Straight Bourbon

I.W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is a historic bourbon brand with origins dating to 1872, produced today at Diageo’s Bulleit Distilling Co. in Shelbyville, Kentucky. After a long absence from the US market (where it was primarily exported to Japan), I.W. Harper was relaunched domestically in 2015 with this 15-year-old expression — a wheated mashbill bourbon aged 15 years in new charred American oak.

Isaac Wolfe Bernheim founded the I.W. Harper brand in Louisville in 1872 before eventually partnering with his brother to create Bernheim Brothers Distillery. The brand’s long Japanese market focus during the 20th century gave it a distinctive history: Japanese bourbon drinkers prized I.W. Harper for decades while American consumers largely forgot the brand. The domestic relaunch positioned the 15-year at the premium end of the wheated bourbon category.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Caramel, vanilla, dried fruit, and soft oak. Palate: Smooth and rounded at 15 years — brown sugar, toffee, dried fruit, and gentle spice. Finish: Long and warm with oak and vanilla.

Specs

Distillery: Bulleit Distilling Co., Shelbyville, Kentucky — Age: 15 Years — Mashbill: Wheated bourbon — ABV: 43% — Size: 750ml

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