William Larue Weller

W. L. Weller is a brand of wheated bourbon whiskey. The brand was originally owned by the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company, William Larue Weller Bourbon is a wheated bourbon that is currently owned by the Sazerac Company and produced at the Buffalo Trace It is distilled from a mash made up of at least 51% corn and uses wheat, rather than rye as its secondary grain.

William Larue Weller Bourbon History and Awards

The brand is named after William Larue Weller (1825–1899), who was an early bourbon whiskey distiller in Kentucky. Some say that Weller was the first to produce straight bourbon using wheat instead of rye in the mashbill, although the accuracy of this claim is not known. However, he must have been one of the first, as his wheated bourbon was first produced way back in 1849.

Weller is alleged to have used the slogan “Honest Whiskey at an Honest Price.” Spending his days educating consumers about the differences in his bourbon, his wheated bourbon became so sought after, that he was forced to put a green thumbprint on each barrel to prove that customers were receiving the real thing.
Pappy Van Winkle eventually merged Weller’s namesake company with the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery to form the Stitzel-Weller Distillery.

A highly decorated brand, W. L. Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon won the accolade of "Extraordinary / Ultimate Recommendation in the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge plus a Silver Outstanding medal from the 2015 International Wine & Spirits Competition.

Jim Murray named William Larue Weller Bourbon the "Second Finest Whisky in the World" in his Whisky Bible 2015, whilst the 2015 release of William Larue Weller was awarded a Silver Outstanding medal from the 2016 International Wine & Spirits Competition.

Expressions

There are a currently 4 bourbons produced under the Weller name, all of which are wheated. Three of these brands are distributed in a signature bell-shaped bottle, while the fourth variation is bottled in a sleek straight bottle.

Recommendations

William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Named after William Larue Weller, a legendary Kentucky whiskey maker, Weller bourbons are produced at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. The William Larue release is part of the Weller antique collection and is almost as hard to find as a rare Pappy.

If you can find it, however, you’ll be delighted you did.

On the nose, scents of pepper, oak, leather and caramel corn bring this spirit alive, whilst the rich palette entry with warming honey notes leads to an explosion of caramel, sautéed almonds, figs and dates.

At 134.6 proof, this is not for the faint hearted, but it will reward those bold enough to try it with a very special treat.