I.W. Harper 15YO Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Sweeter up front with grain and corn immediately apparent, I.W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey 15-Year-Old then moves into notes of oak, raisin, caramel, spice, and vanilla. The finish leaves a long and lasting mouthfeel perfect for enjoying as bourbon the rocks, or whiskey neat to truly appreciate the full flavour profile.

• Distillery: Heaven Hill's Bernheim Distillery - Diageo
  
• Type: Straight Bourbon Whiskey
  
• Region: Kentucky, USA
  
• Alcohol: 43%
  
• Volume: 750ml
  
• Goes with: Neat or over ice
  

The story of I.W. Harper begins in 1848, when German immigrant Isaac Wolfe (I.W.) Bernheim arrived in America with $4 and a dream and founded his own distillery to produce I.W. Harper Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. This 15 years aged bourbon is as rich in taste as it is in history. A refined bourbon, perfect for life's special occasions. Makes a great bourbon gift for someone special or corporate gift. Buy here in our online liquor store and get delivered direct to your door, we deliver nationwide.

I.W. Harper, a brand steeped in history and imagination, bears the name of Isaac Wolfe Bernheim, a visionary German immigrant born in 1848. Isaac journeyed to the United States in 1867, bringing with him a spirit of adventure and enterprise. His surname was changed for the brand, for reasons lost to time, leaving us to dream of the possibilities.

In 1872, Isaac and his brother Bernard co-founded Bernheim Brothers in Paducah, Kentucky. The I.W. Harper brand emerged in 1879 and quickly soared to success, capturing a gold medal at the New Orleans Exposition in 1885.

The brothers later relocated to Louisville, where they purchased a distillery. Despite a setback when it burned down, their resilience led them to establish their own distillery in 1897. As the years progressed towards Prohibition, business waned, and Isaac retired in 1915 at the age of 67. He passed away in 1945 and rests in the serene Bernheim Forest, a 13,000-acre preserve maintained by the Isaac W. Bernheim Foundation.

Bernheim Brothers weathered Prohibition with a license to distil spirits for medicinal purposes. In 1933, the business changed hands, being acquired by Leo Gerngoss and Emil Schwarzhaupt. The Bernheim Distilling Company, along with the I.W. Harper brand, was later acquired by Schenley in 1937

Under Schenley's stewardship, I.W. Harper became an international sensation, gracing 110 countries. However, by the 1980s or 1990s, the brand became export-only, vanishing from U.S. shelves. This move, according to Veach, aimed to quell the "grey market" where bulk bourbon was resold for profit in Japan.

Schenley was acquired by United Distillers, owned by Guinness, in 1989. In 1991, the old distillery was replaced with the new Bernheim Distillery. Diageo, the successor of the Guinness and Grand Metropolitan merger, later sold the distillery to Heaven Hill, which continues to operate it today.

In a triumphant return, Diageo relaunched I.W. Harper in the United States in 2015. The I.W. Harper 15-year-old bourbon now proudly carries forward the legacy, distilled at Heaven Hill’s Bernheim Distillery, a testament to a rich and imaginative history.

• Double Gold - 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
• Gold - 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition
• 88/100 Points - Whisky Advocate