The Story

When you’ve got one of the most eye-catching decanter bottles in the game, you’re sure to get some attention. I.W. Harper has always been one of those bottles that would stop my visual scan of the liquor store shelves, simply because the bottle is a statement in itself. I’d always rest my gaze on I.W. Harper, wondering if the whiskey inside tasted as good as the packaging appeared. Eventually I would get the opportunity to taste it, and it indeed lived up to what the bottle design was implying; it’s good stuff.

It’s been a couple years since that initial encounter with I.W. Harper. A few weeks back I visited my local liquor store and saw that a new product had come out: I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Finish. I don’t have a lot of experience with finished whiskey, so I was a bit unsure as to whether or not this expression would deliver like the normal I.W. Harper bourbon did. After studying the label for a moment, I looked up and saw the owner of the store headed my way. I held up the bottle.

“Have you tried this?”

“Oh yeah”, he began, walking towards me. “I try almost all the bottles I sell. That one’s good. I know you’ll like it.”

A good recommendation, a good track record for I.W. Harper, and a bottle produced by Stitzel-Weller. That was enough for me. I grabbed the bottle and headed towards the register.

The Cabernet Cask Reserve is a 4-year aged bottle that is finished in California Cabernet Sauvignon casks and bottled at 90 proof. Let’s pop it open and see how it tastes.

Nose

On the nose there’s some typical notes of caramel and vanilla, but after a moment or two we detected a bright, fruit note that reminded us of maraschino cherry.

Palate

On the palate, it’s delicate; it certainly drinks as a 90 proof bottle. There’s cherry, a bit of berry or grape, caramel, vanilla, and just a touch of those dark fruit notes they mentioned in their own tasting notes on the label.  

Finish

The finish is rather quick but provides a light, spicy note that we enjoyed.

Verdict

We’re giving this bottle a ‘buy’ rating because we can see it being a great bottle to drink on a warm summer day or with friends who like whiskey but are also wine drinkers. It’s just an easy sipper; not intended to pack a punch and give extra deep notes. It’s just a good bottle to have on the home bar and would pair well with cheeses, jams or other usual suspects you’d see on a charcuterie platter. At $50, it’s a decent value and in a reasonable price range for what it has to offer.

Overall, we’re giving this bottle a 7.6. It’s light, with a nice touch of fruity sweetness, which makes it an easy sipper and a perfect bottle for entertaining guests. Cheers, friends!

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