W. L. Weller 12 year old bourbon used to always be on store shelves for around $25 dollars and now it’s impossible to find. Why is that? The short answer, Weller 12 is distilled/aged at the same distillery and made from the same mashbill (grain recipe) as Pappy Van Winkle. Pappy Van Winkle became wildly popular, impossible to find and insanely expensive on secondary markets in the early 2010’s. Consumers then moved on to the next best thing, Weller 12!
Why Is Weller 12 Hard To Find?
When the Van Winkle family taste through samples of potential barrels destined to one day become Pappy, the barrels not quite up to par are “rejected”. The barrels are then potentially used for Weller branded products. In the early 2010’s, instead of paying $1000 for a Pappy, you could easily go buy Weller products for $20-$30 and it was the next best thing!
In 2023, Weller 12 Year Bourbon MSRP sits at around $50 per 750mL bottle. Secondary prices soar over $200. Buffalo Trace products receive a ton of hype and hard hard to find. Is this bottle worth it? I will review the bottle and find out soon!
Why is Pappy Van Winkle Popular?
The present day craze of Pappy Van Winkle really started in 1996. Julian Van Winkle entered a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle 20 Year into The Beverage Institute tasting competition. Julian’s entry resulted in a score of 99, at the time the first score that high ever awarded!
Pappy Van Winkle scored a 99 in 1996, and that propelled Julian Van Winkle the ability to enter into an agreement with Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2001 to produce Pappy. Buffalo Trace bought the rights to make Weller bourbon in 1999 (made famous by Julian’s father Pappy Van Winkle) and had a wheated bourbon mashbill.
The great Anthony Bourdan famously drank Pappy in 2012 and stated, “If God made bourbon, this is what he’d make”. Then in 2013, the infamous Pappygate occurred, where around 200 bottles of Pappy Van Winkle mysteriously disappeared from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. The scandal made international news and further fueled the desire for Pappy.
What is Weller 12 Bourbon?
Weller 12 is made from Buffalo Trace’s wheated mashbill. Master Distiller Harlan Wheatley has not disclosed the exact grain amounts, but we know it has to be atleast 51% corn, wheat as the secondary grain and malted barley. Wheated bourbons are well liked due to their sweeter, fruitier aroma and tasting notes when compared to a traditional bourbon with rye as it’s secondary grain. Traditional bourbons normally have spicier tasting notes and aromas. They aren’t as “smooth”.
When it became known that Weller bourbon was made from the same recipe as Pappy, the frenzy began and shelves were cleared. Soon these bottles that were everyday shelfers and $20-$30, were now marked up to $200+ dollars or if sold for MSRP never even hit store shelves.
The other products in the Weller lineup:
⁃ Weller CYPB
⁃ Weller Single Barrel
Weller 12 Year Bourbon Review
Weller 12 bourbon is age for… you guessed it 12 years! From my previous research listening to former master distiller Elmer T Lee of Buffalo Trace, bourbons aged this long are normally kept on the lower floors of the warehouses. Aging barrels with less temperature fluctuations, allow for a smoother aging process and helps to minimize loss to the Angel’s Share. All current bottles on the market are batched and blended of many different barrels and clock in at 90 proof (45% alcohol).
I poured neat in a glencairn and let set for around 10 minutes. If you would like to support the site and buy a pair on glencairns, follow the hyperlink!
Color – This is a 90 proof bourbon, but it is the color of an old copper pipe. Deep dark aged color for a lower proofed bourbon.
Aroma – The nose isn’t intense but it has very pleasant notes of darker cherries and plums. I get a lot of vanilla and honey with a sweet oak mixed in. Again, not a strong aroma but very light and pleasant.
Taste – This goes down so easy and has the perfect amount of oak, vanilla, a soft sweetness and just a tad bit of alcohol. The tip of my tongue get hit with flavors of vanilla followed by the mid palate highlighted by a freshly browned cookie out of the oven that melts into a sweet honey. Hints of citrus peel and clove peak through towards the back end of the pour. Possibly some butterscotch but it is hard to pinpoint. Nice thick mouthfeel for a bourbon at this proof point. Normally wheated bourbons do have a thicker mouthfeel compared to their rye forward bourbon counterparts. There is heat present but just enough to let you know this is 45% alcohol. The flavors aren’t strong and I would say almost faint. Buffalo Trace bourbon’s have a beautiful sweetness to them all intermingled with a light oak and Weller 12 is a perfect example of that.
Finish – The finish is a medium length. A ton of flavor explodes on the palate at first and then dissipates fairly quickly. Vanilla, sweet oak and dark berries (plums and cherries) are the predominate notes. The finish is oak forward and extends into my chest, lingering. The 12 years aged really shines on the finish, making this just a delightful pour showcasing a well aged wheated bourbon.
Rating – 7.8/10
Thoughts – Weller 12 is one of the smoothest bourbons I’ve ever had. The combination of it being aged 12 years, 90 proof and a wheated mashbill all contribute to this being an easy drinker! I’m not a particular big fan of describing a bourbon as “smooth” because there are many more descriptive words and reasons a bourbon is an easy sipper. W12 is a perfect introductory bourbon if you can find it for a reasonable price.
I have W12 ranked higher than Eagle Rare 10 Year, Four Roses Single Barrel 100 Proof and Russel’s Reserve 10 year. All of these bottles are much easier to find and have a cheaper MSRP. W. L Weller 12 Year is a superior bourbon but not by much and there is no drop off in quality at all. A more desirable mashbill, aged slightly longer and the poor man’s Pappy circus drives the demand.
Is it worth the hype? No, but I do really enjoy this pour and wish I had another bottle. I finished my bottle off for this review and probably won’t seek it out just due to availability and price. I would recommend a Maker’s Mark product as an easy to find alternative that has a similar tasting profile and is also a wheated bourbon.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect
Debonair Gentlemen 
Leave a comment