I.W. Harper 12 86 proof

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

There is a long involved thread on the Harpers here:

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8&highlight=I.W.+Harper+12

I am having a small pour of I.W. Harper 12 yo. This is my first bottle of this. I am not sure what I think of it yet. It is good, but it doesn't match my expectations of it. I had thought that it would be a rich mellow bourbon, caramel sweet with lots of vanilla.

This has menthol and spice than I expected. Maybe spice is the wrong word. Maybe some camphor. Dry and prickly on the tongue. Yes, the vanilla is there but in the background, I had to look for it or I would never have noticed it.

I still don't know what to think of this. It isn't what I expected from the I.W. Harper Gold Medal. Once I get over my preconceptions I think I will really like this. Right now, Hmm.

Ed