I.W. Harper 15 - Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
$65.99
I.W. Harper 15 – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Proof: 86
Age: 15 Years
Distillery: I.W. Harper Distilling Company (New Bernheim Distillery) – Bottled in Tullahoma, TN
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: 86% Corn, 8% Barley, 6% Rye
Website: I.W. Harper
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: That old rickhouse smell is what I first notice (Oak, Mustiness, angel’s share). Raisins, Dark Fruit, Additional sweet notes of Caramel and Vanilla.
Taste/Palate: VERY smooth and mellow. It’s super sweet up front and into the mid palate. You get Raisins again, Carmel, Oak, Leather, and a couple tingles on your tongue to remind you there’s alcohol in it. Light on the Char taste.
Finish: The sweetness carries through to the finish. Normally rye and spices would come through on the mid palate and into the finish, but you don’t get much in the way of spices until the very end and it’s very subtle. It finishes with Caramel and Crème Brûlée, and a tiny bit of Rye spice. The finish lingers for a good solid 3 minutes while the tongue tingles fade away. 15 minutes into writing this post I can still taste my last sip and I love it.
Verdict: When I saw this for $65 a bottle I wanted to buy all 8 of them. But I don’t want to be “that guy” so I bought two. I see it on the shelf here in MI for around $80 and if I get low on I.W. Harper 15 inventory it’s well worth it.
Following my taste profile I dive into research. Some other reviewers have this coming in as “OK” to “Pretty Darn Good”. I have it ranked much higher than that. This is like an awesome dessert bourbon due to it’s sweetness. If I had to pick one bourbon and only one bourbon to drink exclusively going forward this would be it. You can find it for $60-$80, It’s not allocated, and a high age that’s apparent in the final product. Some hardcore bourbon aficionados might turn their nose up at I.W. Harper 15 due to its low proof. I think this has a great balance of character from aging and proof. Pappy 20 & 23 aren’t much higher in the alcohol category.
The Story: I was in the process of moving for jobs from Southern WI, to South West MI. I was in town hunting for houses and was recommended by my realtor a few local spots that have a good bourbon selection to check out. I was at Stella’s Lounge in downtown Grand Rapids and my wife and I got a spot at the bar. The bar has an awesome atmosphere and an impressive collection of Bourbons to try. I didn’t see any unicorns, but they had a very solid selection and some hard to find bottles. If you’re in Grand Rapids, Michigan Stella’s is a great place to visit. I believe they also have a top rated burger voted by GQ magazine. Burgers and Bourbon.. How do you argue with that!
I noticed I.W. Harper on the menu and I was not familiar with the brand. I was drawn in by the 15 year old age statement. I ordered a heavy pour of this dram and gave it a try. I was blown away. It reminded me of the Pappy 23 I was able to try while touring distilleries in KY. It has that Rickhouse smell and taste so it that brings me back. After this experience I was on a mission to find a bottle of this. I first ordered from an online retailer and paid well over MSRP to have it shipped to me. I later found a liquor store that had ample supply for $65 and I had to grab a couple more.
As a side note, after you finish the bottle you can heat it up and peel off the stickers. It makes a great decanter or infinity bottle. (See the picture below)
The Distillery’s Story: Founded by Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, a Germain Immigrant to the US in 1867 with nothing more than 4 dollars in his pocket. He co-founded Bernheim Brothers and that’s when they started to produce whiskey known as I.W. Harper. In the 1990’s there was a high quality whiskey demand in Asia and that’s when the brand started selling exclusively overseas.
There was a good reason why I hadn’t heard of I.W. Harper prior to my visit to Michigan. They have been around for a LONG time (1872), but for the majority of my life they only offered their bottles on the international market. In 2015 they expanded their footprint and included the USA again. It is distilled at New Bernheim Distillery (Heaven Hill) and aged Stitzel-Weller Distillery then finally bottled in TN. Diageo purchased the I.W. Harper brand and they are the reason why we can find I.W. Harper on the shelves domestically. I thank them for that.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
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