Weller 12 year old surged in popularity after Pappy Van Winkle took off in the mid-aughts, thanks its use of the same wheated mashbill, but being more affordable than its cousin, Van Winkle 12 year old. (And, at the time, somewhat easier to obtain at retail pricing.) Age statements for bourbon were rarer when Weller 12 was first released in 2001, though the market’s now flooded with similarly aged offerings, but being one of the originators, Weller 12 still stands out among the crowd. Here’s our report on Weller 12 year old bourbon 2023 release.
Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon At a Glance:
Distillery Name: Buffalo Trace
Age: 12 year old
Mashbill: 51% corn, undisclosed wheat, undisclosed barley
Proof: 90/45% ABV
Cask: New, charred American oak barrels
SRP: $70
Quick Tasting Notes: Vanilla and caramel abound, as do candied orange zest and dark chocolate.
Overall Thoughts: A sublime daily sipper with just the right amount of sweetness.
How Is Weller 12 Year Old Made?
Buffalo Trace has four main mashbills, all of which are undisclosed. Mashbill #1 is 51% corn and undisclosed amounts of rye—believed to be 10% or less, or low-rye—and barley. Mashbill #1 is used for Buffalo Trace, EH Taylor, Stagg, and Eagle Rare. Mashbill #2 is a high-rye mash, with between 12 and 15% rye, 51% corn, and an undisclosed amount of barley. Elmer T. Lee, Ancient Age, Blanton’s, and Rock Hill Farm are made from mashbill #2. There’s a rye mashbill, used in Sazerac and Thomas H Handy, which is at least 50% rye, with an undisclosed amount of corn and barley.
And lastly, there’s the wheated mashbill, which uses 51% corn and an undisclosed amount of wheat and barley. This wheated mashbill is used for all Weller products (with the exception of the newly launched ultra-aged Weller Millennium, which blends in wheat whiskeys that contain at least 51% wheat) and it’s also used for Pappy Van Winkle and other Van Winkle products, as well as EH Taylor Seasoned Wood.
Why wheat? It replaces the rye spice with sweetness from the wheat grain, leading to a softer mouthfeel. And demand for a whiskey that’s more gentle and approachable has been around since the 1840s, when William Larue Weller, a Kentucky whiskey pioneer, first launched it. Back in the 1850s, Weller’s wheated whiskeys were in such demand that he had to start putting a green thumbprint on barrels and invoices to indicate their authenticity. The legendary Pappy Van Winkle would later fold Weller’s business into A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, forming Stitzel-Weller Distillery in 1935, and in 1999, Buffalo Trace acquired the brand and began reproducing Weller’s wheated bourbon.
How We Tasted This
There is a method to tasting whisky, and this is our tried-and-true formula. We use Glencairn glasses for our tastings. With our Weller 12 at room temperature, we initially nosed and tasted the whiskey neat, with no dilution. After that first round, we added a few drops of water to open up the whiskey and coax out any hidden flavors.
What Does Weller 12 Year Old Smell Like?
You get a generous heap of sweetness; caramel candies, vanilla custard, cherry pie, honey, cinnamon, and clove, and a fair amount of orange zest and candied orange peels. The oak spice is present, too, but it’s soft, and there’s a nice floral aroma. A few deep inhalations reward you with hints of dark chocolate. After 10 or so minutes of resting in the glass, notes of tobacco rise. The 45% ABV tamps down some of the aromas, but it’s still rich and robust. It’s pleasing and inviting to sniff, and you can spend a long time nosing the glass. And, for bourbon neophytes, it’s a lovely entry to the spirit.
What Does Weller 12 Year Old Taste Like?
On the palate, first sips bring honey, vanilla, cinnamon, orange zest, a little ginger, tobacco, leather, and dark chocolate. The liquid weight is medium-light; just enough to give you a sense of heaviness that correlates with the 12 years in the barrel. There’s a decent amount of oak, as you’d expect, but it plays nicely with the other flavors, and doesn’t crowd the party. A floral note shines through early in the sip, then drops off as the other flavors build.
When chewing it, there’s more clove and cinnamon spice, plus a rush of dark chocolate, leather, tobacco, and a lot more cherry and dried cranberry. There’s also a browned butter note, as well as darker caramel. There’s a nice balance between the sweet oak notes that demonstrate the liquid’s age and the brightness and vibrance of the liquid. It’s approachable to all palates, thanks to the ample sweetness and desert-notes, though barrel proof zealots will likely find this too saccharine and lacking punch.
The finish is long and pleasant, with vanilla caramel, candied orange peel, and dark chocolate rising above the rest. As those flavors fade, you’re left with the oak spice, though it doesn’t veer into the realm of being tannic. It then resonates on the palate with notes of cocoa powder and dried tobacco leaves.
Final Thoughts on Weller 12 Year Old
Weller 12 hits the mark as an approachable daily sipper with a lot of brightness, medium viscosity, and balanced flavor that’ll leave you returning for another pour. The softness and sweetness of the wheat help make it a dram that you’ll seek out. There are ample wheated bourbon options on the shelf, but Weller 12 is one that deserves a place at the top of that crop.
Why Is Weller 12 So Rare?
The scarcity of the product, particularly at its SRP, is something that warrants mentioning. A plethora of factors relating to distribution practices and America’s three-tier system regulations have an impact on which markets will get this allocated bourbon, making it harder to find locally. Additionally, due to the high pricing on the secondary market, retail pricing is often four or five times greater than the suggested retail price, so when you do see it in the wild, it’s often outrageously priced. The fact that Buffalo Trace moved it to an annual release, allocated product, instead of a mainstay production item doesn’t help meet the rabid consumer demand either.
Is Weller 12 Worth the Hunt?
The above explanation of a more limited supply coupled with an overwhelming demand means that people who are seeking Weller 12 year old will have to scour liquor stores to source bottles, particularly if they’re hoping to pay anywhere near retail pricing. So, is Weller 12 worth that enormous lift? In some ways, yes. Provided you can get it somewhere under secondary pricing, it’s a solid option. Value can only be assessed by the individual, but it’s a wonderful bottle when priced below $100. Once the price moves into three figures, it becomes harder to justify, when there are ample other options within the wheated bourbon and wheat whiskey space. (More on those alternatives below.)
Is More Weller 12 Year Old Coming Soon?
In February of 2023, Buffalo Trace opened a new stillhouse that’s able to produce up to 60,000 gallons of whiskey a day. That’ll double production of “Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Weller, Blanton’s, E.H. Taylor Jr. and the rest of the whiskeys in its portfolio,” according to the distillery. This is part of a $1.2 billion expansion that started back in 2015, and the distillery has indeed pumped out 50% more product since that initiative started. So, yes, more Weller 12 is coming. However, it won’t be “soon.” It may go without saying, but it’ll be at least 11 years before you see more Weller 12 on the shelves as a result of these increased production efforts.
Other Weller Bourbon Offerings
Weller 12 sits in the middle of the Weller bourbon portfolio, nearly all of which use the same mashbill. Other bottles within that lineup include Weller Special Reserve, which is about 7 years old and comes in at 90 proof. There’s the Weller 12 year old, 90 proof offering. Then there’s Daniel Weller, a special release that uses ancient Emmer wheat in the mashbill to give a unique flavor to the liquid. Daniel Weller is also 12 years old, and slightly higher ABV, at 94 proof. It also has a higher SRP: $500.
There’s Weller CYPB, which stands for Craft Your Perfect Bourbon, and this 8 year old bottle is the culmination of 100,000 Buffalo Trace fans voting for this blend. CYPB is 95 proof. At 97 proof, there’s Weller Single Barrel, a single barrel selection by Buffalo Trace’s distillery team. While Weller Single Barrel’s SRP is around $50, its scarcity means it’s frequently priced above $700 at retail.
Next is Weller 107, which is a 7 to 8 year bourbon that’s bottled at 107 proof. This is an ideal option for those who like Weller Special Reserve or Weller 12 but seek a higher punch on the liquid. The penultimate mainstay Weller is Weller Full Proof, bottled at 114 proof without an age statement, though it’s likely around 7 years as well. It’s got a hefty punch from the proof, while adhering to the core flavor profile of Weller.
In the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is William Larue Weller, a highly allocated annual release of 12 year old bourbon that’s bottled at cask strength (2023’s release was 133.6 proof.) The SRP on William Larue Weller is $125, though you won’t see bottles at retail for under $1,800.
Lastly, there’s Weller Millennium, the freshly released ultra-aged Weller offering. This is a wheat whiskey as opposed to a bourbon, due to the inclusion of wheat whiskey (made by Buffalo Trace) in the final blend. It features whiskey from 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2006, and has a staggering SRP of $7,500. You’re unlikely to see this in the wild for less than $15,000, once the limited supply starts trickling out.
Bottles Similar to Weller 12 Year Old
If you’re a fan of wheated bourbon, you’re in luck; there are ample options available. Old Fitzgerald from Heaven Hill is a great alternative. Bernheim wheat whiskey, also made by Heaven Hill, is another one, though it’s not a bourbon.
Rebel 10 year old Single Barrel Wheated bourbon is another great alternative. Dry Fly, Wilderness Trail, New Riff, and Old Elk also all offer wheated bourbons with greater age.
The most readily available wheated bourbons are Larceny and Maker’s Mark. Larceny’s 92 proof offering is a decent, affordable wheated alternative, while its barrel proof version was our 2020 Whisky of the Year. affordable wheated bourbon alternative and Maker’s Mark clocks in right at 90 proof.
