I.W. Harper 15 Year Bourbon

The nose starts with a mix of light florals, powdered sugar dusted caramel with a milk cream center and dusty oak then milk chocolate peanut clusters followed by orange blossom, red grapes and Apple Jacks cereal that transitions to fresh spearmint leaf, leather and black tea leaves with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with a mix of light florals, peanut brittle and dusty oak then a moderate bitterness overpowers the flavors that slowly fades to a mocha followed by orange zest, red grapes and sour apple candy that transitions to fresh spearmint leaf, leather and bitter black tea with light ethanol burn. The finish is short that starts fruity then quickly begins to turn to a bitter black tea that dominates and climbs a staircase of bitterness until it finally fades away. This whiskey seems very familiar to a few stories I heard from some poor fools in the military. The story always began with the fool deciding to look for love in the worst possible location of a strip club. Alas, the stripper, who we shall call Harper, was very pretty and all too willing to play a love interest of the fool. Over a short time frame, Harper would get the poor fool so love struck that before the 12 month deployment a power of attorney over the fool’s finances would be signed. Over the course of the deployment, the fool wouldn’t get nearly the same loving emotional treatment as expected in the form of mail or email, but was sure that love would win the day upon returning. At the end of the long deployment, the fool who expected a loving embrace from Harper was unfortunately let down with no sight of Harper and later found that not only was Harper gone, but so was all the cash in the poor fool’s bank account. This whiskey is very much the same with its beautiful decanter and 15 year age statement that draws you in for a pour with a great start of sweets, florals, citrus and spices that fails to deliver the same experience on the taste and finishes with a bitter end. Don’t be a fool and fall for Harper’s beauty and instead take a modest looking Dickel 15 or fancier Resilient to get a 15 year old that’s not all looks and won’t leave you with a cash grab and bitter ending.

This was truly a random grab for me. Usually I put a lot of thought into buying bottles. I bought this a long time ago, but there was no rhyme or reason to the purchase. I just bought it. Consequently, I have no expectations for it, though it was the oldest bourbon I had ever purchased (at the time.) With that in mind, let’s give Stitzel-Weller a go. Nose: Heavy, heavy, heavy oak. The age statement is unquestionable here. Pipe smoke. Clove, nutmeg, and loads of black pepper. Cocoa. Gala apple, caramel, vanilla. Fudge. Almond. Dried apricot and orange citrus. Banana walnut muffin. I mentioned both individually, but I have to throw in caramelized apple. Mint chocolate. Awesome nose. Palate: Gala apple and caramel. Vanilla. Sawdust. Dried apricot and almond. Peanut brittle. Cocoa. Black tea and a light tobacco smoke note. Orange citrus. Raisin. Strong leather note. Toffee, cotton candy, and graham cracker. Fudge. Oak. Black pepper, clove, and nutmeg. Bitter, but not in a bad way. Finish: Cocoa, black tea, and heavy tobacco smoke. Vanilla, milk chocolate, fudge, and caramel. Orange citrus and sawdust. Cotton candy. Red Hot Tamale. Black pepper, cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, and, if you hadn’t already guessed, a ton of oak. Moderate-to-long finish, which is surprising considering the 43% ABV. It serves as a testament to the aging process. I’m sure many people out there have bought this for the sole purpose of using as a decanter (the IW Harper labels are literally stickers that are meant to be peeled off.) Maybe I’ll even do the same. But man is the juice inside the bottle worth the squeeze. This was an absolute steal at $90. Even more so when you consider that this a 15 y.o. That alone caused me to bump this a half star. The nose was fantastic—I have to say that again. And it holds up remarkably well considering the low proof. Awesome stuff. 4.75/5.

Color: Medium Copper-Amber (a little lighter than I'd expect from an age statement as this) Nose: Somewhat light nose... which isn't surprising, considering the lower proof. Slight aroma of "cola". Palate: (Drank neat) Slightly syrupy mouth feel. Little-to-no burn or chest hug. Light flavors of oak and cherry(?). A decent balance of sweet and spicy. Ahhhh, there's the chest hug! Took a few sips for it to make an appearance. Need to go in for another pour... Getting mostly the same plus some more "floral" notes. Yeah, oak is the prevalent flavor here. That makes sense, considering how long it was in the barrel. I just wish there was a little more going on. Finish: Medium with the oak and spiciness being the main thing. Final thoughts: I.W. Harper 15 Year has been in my sights for the past three and a half years, when I first started on my bourbon journey. But it somehow would always get elbowed-out of contention by a new batch release, or some other bottle that was half the price and piqued my interest. I really had high hopes for this bottle, but in the end my hesitancy to buy it sooner than I did has been validated. For just south of $100.00, I expected this to knock me out. Will I enjoy finishing this bottle? Yes — it's "good" bourbon. Will I be buying it again? No. It's simply too unremarkable. 3.5 stars, all things considered. I wanted to add... I drank one last pour of the night with a large ice ball, and this brought out some more subtle flavors. But still, at this price, there are too many bottles out there for $20-$30 less at higher proofs and sporting more depth and complexity. My seemingly harsh review is based on the price point.

IWH15 NOSE: Rich and Varied. Tobacco, Leather, Glazed Donut, Oak, Streusel, and Grape Jelly. NEAT: Oak Dominated, but Little to No Bitter Tannins. Old Slightly Musty Oak, Leather, Cocoa Powder, Light Tingly Pepper Spice, Mint, Sawdust, and Straw. Smooth Drying Finish with little to no burn. Oak and Faint Cinnamon linger and coat the palate. SPLASH: Brown Sugar now dominates the nose. The Grape Jelly note from the nose moves to the palate and Fruit notes begin to mesh with the oakiness. VERDICT: This is "Library Bourbon". Designed to be sipped in an old leather chair, surrounded by antique wooden bookshelves filled with old first edition hardbacks. Perfectly Balanced. No bitterness and just the right amount of funk and good Tannins. Seems simple (but tasty) on the first pour, but subsequent samples reveal sweeter/fruitier notes underneath. I could nitpick about the lower proof, but I'm not sure that the lower proof doesn't help reduce the flaws I find in some super aged bourbons. I wish I would've taken a chance on this sooner.

After years of being a proof hound I’m opening up to some of the craft in lower proof higher age bourbon/rye. Some of the best stuff under 90 proof bottom line…great flavor that’s not lost with the water that’s added to down proof it. Many Others don’t have the complexities this offers. Great summer or AM sipper. I see why the 94/100 rating. I tried it 4 years ago when my bourbon palate was only 400 bought bottles in….now I can appreciate what they have done here. For anyone comparing this to a wheat bourbon, don’t! High corn % is difficult to perfect…and make balanced. I wonder if this shared any base with the other Heaven hill bib product (mellow corn). Not that they are in the same league…I w 15 is mlb while mellow corn is little league World Series.

Nose: Smooth and soft, that trate will carry through. The nose is pleasant with a floral range. Pallet: Again smooth with a slight spice (cinnamon?), and strong fullness of citrus (orange) which is interesting and a very slight smokiness which is likely the oak carrying through. Finish: Full and long lasting. The cirrus flows through and ends in a dryness to let you know you need another sip. This is not the best I’ve had, however it’s very good and more than worth may more than the price. I’m betting that every time I have this it will change, and I’m a tributing that to the 15 year that it spent in a barrel. Perhaps a cigar is needed next time. What a great amber color, you could pick it out of a blind just by the color.