The historic Stitzel-Weller Distillery has come together in partnership with the award-winning American actor and playwright Colman Domingo to release a highly-limited 34 year old Kentucky Straight Bourbon whisky under I.W. Harper, which would be the rarest and oldest bottling in the brand's 150-year long history. The expression was distilled in 1989 and aged for over thirty years at the Stitzel-Weller Distillery in Kentucky. The I.W. Harper 34 year old expression is made from a blend of whisky from four hand-selected barrels and bottled at cask strength at 63.1% ABV. 

This partnership is also a project of personal artistic expression and representation for the Black queer actor Colman Domingo, who had chosen Native Son - a non-profit organization supporting Black queer men - as the beneficiary of the proceeds from this historic release. The label design of this expression comes from Brooklyn-based creative Michelle Cadore, who drew inspirations from her fashion couture wrist pieces and silk scarves.

Only eleven bottles of this expression have been produced, with five available through auction at Sotheby's in New York from 24 July to 7 August. Proceeds from the auction would contribute towards the non-profit platform Native Son. Auction bids for this bourbon whisky expression can be placed via Sothebys.com until 7 August.

Kanpai!

88 Bamboo Editorial Team