I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Reserve Bourbon Whiskey
I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Reserve Bourbon Whiskey is a Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey aged four years in new charred American oak barrels and then finished in California Cabernet Sauvignon casks, bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof) in a 750mL bottle. Order it online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA — bourbon's classic sweetness meets Napa cab's dark-fruit depth.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Aging: 4 years in new charred American oak, then finished in California Cabernet Sauvignon casks
- Distillation/Bottling: Distilled at New Bernheim Distillery (Louisville, KY), bottled at Stitzel-Weller Distillery (Louisville, KY)
- Heritage: Brand founded 1872 by Isaac Wolfe Bernheim; sold only in Japan for 20+ years; relaunched in the US by Diageo in 2015
From New Bernheim to a Cabernet Cask
The I.W. Harper name goes back to 1872 and founder Isaac Wolfe Bernheim — a brand that spent two decades as a Japan-only pour before Diageo brought it home in 2015. The Cabernet Cask Reserve, released in 2022, takes the standard formula — straight bourbon distilled at the New Bernheim facility in Louisville — and gives it a second act in California Cabernet Sauvignon casks after four years in new charred oak. Bottled at Stitzel-Weller, it's bourbon doing double duty: classic char-driven character underneath, wine-cask dark fruit on top.
Tasting Notes
Caramel, vanilla, and toasted oak from the bourbon foundation, with dark cherry, blackberry, and a hint of red-wine tannin from the cabernet finish. The 90-proof delivery is smooth and approachable, ending with a soft sweet-oak and dark-fruit finish.
How to Enjoy
Pour it neat or with a single cube — the cabernet finish shows best when the whiskey is cold enough to slow the alcohol but not so cold it mutes the fruit. It also works in a bourbon Old Fashioned where the wine notes can play against bitters.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Reserve?A Kentucky straight bourbon aged four years in new charred oak and finished in California Cabernet Sauvignon casks, bottled at 90 proof. It is a 2022 line extension of the I.W. Harper brand, relaunched in the US by Diageo in 2015.
Where is I.W. Harper bourbon made?It is distilled at the New Bernheim Distillery in Louisville, Kentucky (a Heaven Hill facility) and bottled at the historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery, also in Louisville.
What does the cabernet cask finish add?Dark fruit and a whisper of red-wine structure — dark cherry, blackberry, and soft tannin layered over bourbon's caramel and vanilla. See more of the range on the I.W. Harper shelf at Del Mesa Liquor.
Wine-finished bourbons are having a moment for good reason — order I.W. Harper Cabernet Cask Reserve Bourbon Whiskey online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA, and taste what the cab cask does.