Weller - Special Reserve - Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
$25
Weller – Special Reserve – Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Proof: 90
Age: NAS
Distillery: Buffalo Trace (Sazerac Co)
Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Mash: Unknown Percentages. Corn, Wheat, & Barley
Website: Buffalo Trace – W.L Weller
*Disclaimer: A score of 5 is the midpoint for my reviews. Above 5 I like it. Below 5 I didn’t for some reason. Most of my reviews are between 4-7. It takes something really really special to go above 7 or below 4. See the methodologies for rating at the end of the article
Nose: Very subtle and mild on the nose. Overall the nose is sweet. Caramel, Mild Oak, Graham Cracker, & Very mild Pepper.
Taste/Palate: Very Sweet. Caramel, Honey, Vanilla, & Sweet Apple. Very little to no spice, but a brief trace of Cinnamon.
Finish: No surprise here, it finishes sweet. Caramel, Honey, Vanilla, & Wet Oak. There’s a slight tang to this when it rounds out. There’s a combination of characteristics and a slight sweet Orange Peel as the Finish fades.
Verdict: This is very enjoyable and if you can find it for around the MSRP it’s worth it. Seeing that almost all Buffalo Trace products are hyped up right now if you see this for an inflated price I can assure you it’s not “worth it” unless you want to have it just to have it. There are plenty of Wheated products out there now and even plenty of non wheated products that stack up against Weller. The hype of “poor mans Pappy” have driven this beyond it’s value and it’s more of a trophy these days. Don’t get me wrong I very much enjoy this and it is very very good based on it’s MSRP price (Around $25), but as of the day of this posting online “retailers” i.e. modern day Bourbon Scalpers are charging up to $90 – $100 for this. That’s a hard pass.
MSRP: Buy (but please don’t hoard!). Price Ceiling: $45 (The most I’d pay for this bottle)
The Story: I remember the day when I could easily find Weller Special Reserve on the shelf. Much like other Buffalo Trace products. In today’s day and age I now see pictures in on-line forums and Instagram of people’s “collections” with row upon row of unopened bottles of Weller products. Of course there is an army of other unopened bottles in these collections, but Weller has now made it onto the “Trophy List” where it’s better to display it than drink it. If you are ever out there in the wild trying to find one of these bottles to actually drink, just remember the bourbon hype has shifted and many treat these bottles as a bragging right or a trophy to display and these hoarders are ruining it for the masses. Do I have a couple unopened bottles? Sure. But, I do have a rule, I will never have any more than 3 bottles of any particular product no matter how much I like it and over 90% of the bottles I own are open and ready to share. Apparently this Weller SR review triggered a soap box moment for me. Rant over.
I’ll always try to keep it real. Many of these review sites you see out there receive samples direct from the distillery most of the time free of charge. Do I turn down a sample from the distillery to review? Heck no. I am like many of you. I’m out there in the wild, searching for these bottles, hoping to get lucky, and spending my hard earned money. Just recently I walked into one of my frequent liquor stores where I have rapport and I was offered a bottle of Blanton’s from behind the counter for the low low price of $159. I, like many of you, experience the frustrations of being in the wild and everyone is trying to get a piece of the Bourbon Hype Pie. Needless to say I turned down the “generous” offer of the Blanton’s and also told the store owner I would no longer patron their establishment. They were taken back. They thought they were doing me a favor. I told this store owner that someone out there will be willing to pay that over inflated sum, but I’m not that guy. There’s a huge difference between a mark-up and price gouging.
The Distillery’s Story: The Weller name started when the Weller family migrated to the US and then moved to Kentucky in 1790. They started distilling in the 1700s and the distilling process was passed down generations to Samuel Weller and then to the well known name of William Larue Weller. William took the practice to the next level and in 1849 started the company W.L. Weller and Brothers. The name later was changed to W.L. Weller and Sons. Over the years the Weller brand gained in popularity and notoriety. W.L. Weller is commonly known as the pioneer to distilling with Wheat as the secondary grain vs Rye. The Wheat gives the dram a sweeter taste and softer mouthfeel. Rye gives you more spice.
Notably in 1893 the W.L. Weller & Sons company hired a sales person by the name of Julien “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr. in 1893 as a Whiskey sales person. Yes, Yes, that “Pappy Van Winkle”. In 1899 when William Larue Weller passed Julien “Pappy” and his coworker Alex purchased the company officially in 1908. The Weller family stayed on the company’s board as President but later parted ways in the 1930s when the company merged with A PH Stitzel Distillery. The merged brands began Stitzel-Weller Distillery in 1935. The Weller product line was carried on under the Stitzel-Weller Distillery and additional product lines, such as Pappy Van Winkle Began.
The Stitzel-Weller Distillery was sold in 1972 when Bourbon was in a bust market and getting passed over by other spirits. Many of the staple Stitzel-Weller products such as Weller & Old Fitzgerald were sold to Buffalo Trace and Heaven Hill. For a period of time those brands were still selling the Stitzel Weller juice under the new ownership, but over time the brands now feature juice that was distilled and aged under their new ownership. Some say these brands are “just not the same as they used to be decades ago”, they would be right. But rebuttal is if you look back into the history of Bourbon, Brands, Distilleries, etc., you’ll see that there was a lot of Horse Trading between distilleries and brands, especially with Prohibition, brands were either required to shut down or shift to a facility that had special exemption. Regardless, the shifting of brands is NOT stopping the Bourbon masses from scooping these up as soon as they hit the shelves.
Methodologies for Rating:
1. Dump it down the drain or regift it to someone you don’t care for.
2. This doesn’t even belong in a mixed drink. Use in case of an emergency.
3. It’s really not for me, but I heard some people like it.
4. Its only good when I’ve had too many and it’s decent in a mixer.
5. Solid. It hit all of what’s expected.
6. Above average. Good to bring to an event and you wouldn’t expect any guff from it.
7. Buy two if you see it to make sure you have one on reserve.
8. Very Very good. Constantly a GREAT POUR.
9. Superb. If I were to drink this and only this from now on I’d be a happy person.
10. Perfection is impossible. But this really comes as close as you can possibly get.
Reviewer: David S
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