I.W. Harper 15 Year Bourbon

I received a few bourbons from John (a fellow Michigander with a love for whisky who is not on this app) in a little trade a few weeks ago. This I. W. Harper 15 year old is the first of them. As all Kentucky straight bourbons are, this is natural color, a nice mahogany. Bottled at 43% ABV and most likely chill filtered. The nose is fairly soft and begins with mint. Oak and soft fruits. Apples and bananas but not much else as far as fruit goes. A light corn sweetness with some caramel and butterscotch. It almost feels like a less sweet Canadian whisky. A little vanilla with cinnamon and some dark chocolate and orange peel. The palate is a bit harsh with an alcoholic twinge. Bitter oak tannins, walnuts and almonds. Cherry syrup, bananas, corn and mint. Honestly I wasn’t able to get much more than that out of it. Maybe some butterscotch. Light bodied mouthfeel that is thin with a light oiliness and on the dry side. Medium length finish, oak, vanilla and slightly metallic. It’s hard to look a gift horse in the mouth, but this was surprisingly bad for a 15 year old bourbon. It’s not without its merits, but at $70 a bottle it’s shortcomings are even more apparent. There’s no real complexity to it. I’m giving this a 2.75 and I think that’s more than fair given the less than stellar quality at a premium price. Cheers