There's something about holding a bottle from the 1970s that changes the way you approach a pour. This I.W. Harper Gold Medal, bottled sometime in that decade, is a piece of Kentucky bourbon history — and at £299, it's priced accordingly. I.W. Harper was once one of the most recognisable bourbon brands in America, known for its smooth, approachable style and that iconic gold medal branding that nods to competition wins from the late 1800s. For decades it was actually far more popular in Japan than in the States, which tells you something about the quality international drinkers saw in it long before the current bourbon boom.
What you're getting here is a Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey bottled at 40% ABV with no age statement. Now, that ABV is standard for the era — this was before the modern trend of barrel-proof and cask-strength releases that dominate shelves today. Back in the 1970s, 80 proof was the norm, and distillers worked within that framework to deliver flavour through blending skill and barrel selection rather than sheer proof. It's worth keeping that context in mind. You're not buying this for a punch-you-in-the-face bourbon experience. You're buying it for what it represents: a snapshot of how Kentucky bourbon tasted half a century ago.
Tasting Notes
I won't fabricate specific tasting notes I can't verify for a bottle of this age and rarity. What I can tell you is that 1970s-era bourbon production in Kentucky typically leaned on traditional corn-heavy mashbills, and the lower bottling proof tends to produce a softer, rounder drinking experience. Expect a whiskey that's more gentle and honeyed than what modern bourbon drinkers might be used to — this is old-school smoothness, the kind of pour that rewards patience and a quiet evening.
The Verdict
At £299, this isn't an everyday purchase. But I'd argue it's fairly positioned for what it is: a sealed, vintage bottle from a historically significant Kentucky bourbon brand, bottled over forty years ago. You're paying for provenance and rarity as much as for the liquid itself. For collectors, this is a genuine piece of American whiskey history. For drinkers, it's a chance to taste bourbon as it was made in a completely different era of production — before craft distilling, before the bourbon shortage panic, before everyone and their cousin started a whiskey brand. I.W. Harper Gold Medal earned its reputation honestly, and this bottle carries that legacy. I'm giving it a 7.7 out of 10. It loses a little ground on the modest ABV and the lack of an age statement, but what it offers in heritage, collectability, and the sheer experience of drinking something from another era more than earns its score.
Best Served
Pour this one neat in a Glencairn or a small tulip glass at room temperature. Give it ten minutes to open up — old bourbon at 40% can be shy at first but tends to bloom with air. If you're feeling brave and want to mix with it, a simple Old Fashioned with a good demerara syrup and a single dash of Angostura would honour the whiskey without overwhelming it. But honestly, with a bottle this old and this special, I'd keep the cocktail shaker in the cupboard. This is a sipper. Treat it like one.
