Type | Bourbon whiskey |
---|---|
Manufacturer | Sazerac Company |
Country of origin | Kentucky, United States |
Introduced | 1849 |
Alcohol by volume | 45%-57% |
Proof (US) | 90-114 |
Variants | W. L. Weller Special Reserve W. L. Weller Antique |
Related products | Buffalo Trace Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve Old Rip Van Winkle |
W. L. Weller is a brand of "wheated" bourbon whiskey. The brand was created by the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company, and was sold several times after 1972. Since 1999, the brand has been owned by the Sazerac Company. It is produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. [1] Like all bourbons, Weller is distilled from a mash composed of at least 51% corn (maize). The secondary grain used for the Weller brand is wheat, whereas most bourbons use rye.
The bourbon was named after William Larue Weller (1825–1899), who was a distiller in the early days of Kentucky. He was supposedly the first to produce straight bourbon using wheat instead of rye in the mashbill. His wheated bourbon was first produced in 1849. [2]
There are several bourbons produced under the W. L. Weller name:
Introduced in 2005 as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey is an uncut, unfiltered bourbon that's bottled at barrel proof. The proof and age of this annual release varies from year to year: [3]
Release | Year of Distillation | Product Age | Release Proof | Number of Barrels | Warehouses | Warehouse Floors | Evaporation Loss | Number of Bottles (est.) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Fall of 2005 | Fall of 1993 | 12 years, 2 months | 121.9 | 41 | Q | 5th | 58.04% | 4,602 |
Fall of 2006 | Spring of 1991 | 15 years, 3 months | 129.9 | 22 | M | 5th | 50.64% | 2,905 |
Fall of 2007 | Spring of 1997 | 10 years, 3 months | 117.9 | 34 | I | 9th | 53.27% | 4,250 |
Fall of 2008 | Spring of 1997 | 11 years, 2 months | 125.3 | 40 | I | 9th | 52.05% | 5,131 |
Fall of 2009 | Fall of 1998 | 11 years | 134.8 | 41 | N, O | 5th | 57.20% | 4,694 |
Fall of 2010 | Summer of 1998 | 12 years, 3 months | 126.6 | 55 | I, P | 4th and 9th | 55.50% | 6,547 |
Fall of 2011 | Fall of 1998 | 12 years, 11 months | 133.5 | 45 | N, O, P | 4th and 5th | 57.20% | 5,152 |
Fall of 2012 | Spring of 2000 | 12 years, 4 months | 123.4 | 49 | P, I | 2nd and 4th | 56.60% | 5,689 |
Fall of 2013 | Spring of 2001 | 12 years, 1 month | 136.2 | 39 | M, P | 3rd and 4th | 55.30% | 3,468 |
Fall of 2014 | Spring of 2002 | 12 years, 3 months | 140.2 | 39 | D, K, L | 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 6th | 62.30% | 3,933 |
Fall of 2015 | Spring of 2003 | 12 years, 3 months | 134.6 | 105 | I, K, L | 2nd and 6th | 72.30% | 7,780 |
Fall of 2016 | Winter of 2003 | 12 years, 7 months | 135.4 | 145 | D, K, L | 3rd and 6th | 65.40% | 13,421 |
Fall of 2017 | Winter of 2005 | 12 years, 6 months | 128.2 | 155 | D, I, P | 1st thru 6th | 54.08% | 19,040 |
Fall of 2018 | Winter of 2006 | 12 years, 6 months | 125.7 | 149 | C, I, K, L, M, Q | 2nd thru 5th | 56.90% | 17,179 |
Fall of 2019 | Winter of 2007 | 12 years, 6 months | 128.0 | N/A | I | 2nd and 3rd | 57.00% | N/A |
Fall of 2020 | Winter of 2008 | 12 years, 6 months | 134.5 | N/A | I, C | 3rd, 5th, and 6th | 73.0% | N/A |
Fall of 2021 | Winter of 2009 | 12 years, 6 months | 125.3 | N/A | K, L, D, Q, C | 1st, 2nd, 3rd | 64.0% | N/A |
Fall of 2022 | Spring of 2010 | 12 years, 8 months | 124.7 | N/A | C, K, N | 2nd, 3rd, 4th | 64.0% | N/A |
Fall of 2023 | Spring of 2011 | 12 years, 6 months | 133.6 | N/A | C, L, M, N | 2nd and 3rd | 66.0% | N/A |
The 2016 release of William Larue Weller, from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, was awarded a 2017 Double Gold medal by the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
Old Weller Antique 107 was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2016 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition.
W. L. Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon won the designation of "Extraordinary / Ultimate Recommendation (95–100 pts)" from the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge and a Silver Outstanding medal from the 2015 International Wine & Spirits Competition (UK).
Spirits writer Jim Murray named William Larue Weller Bourbon the "Second Finest Whisky in the World" in his Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2015 ( ISBN 978-0955472992). The 2015 release of William Larue Weller was awarded a Silver Outstanding medal from the 2016 International Wine & Spirits Competition (UK).
Weller Full Proof was awarded a Double Gold in the Straight Bourbon category at the 2023 New York World Spirits Competition. [4] WL Weller Single Barrel and WL Weller Full Proof both won Masters awards at the 2023 American Whiskey Masters. [5]
Canadian whisky is a type of whisky produced in Canada. Most Canadian whiskies are blended multi-grain liquors containing a large percentage of corn spirits, and are typically lighter and smoother than other whisky styles. When Canadian distillers began adding small amounts of highly-flavourful rye grain to their mashes, people began demanding this new rye-flavoured whisky, referring to it simply as "rye". Today, as for the past two centuries, the terms "rye whisky" and "Canadian whisky" are used interchangeably in Canada and refer to exactly the same product, which generally is made with only a small amount of rye grain.
Bourbon is a type of barrel-aged American whiskey made primarily from corn (maize). The name derives from the French Bourbon dynasty, although the precise source of inspiration is uncertain; contenders include Bourbon County in Kentucky and Bourbon Street in New Orleans, both of which are named after the dynasty. The name bourbon may not have been used until the 1850s; the association with Bourbon County did not appear until the 1870s.
Rye whiskey can refer to two different, but related, types of whiskey:
Maker's Mark is a small-batch bourbon whiskey produced in Loretto, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory. It is bottled at 90 U.S. proof and sold in squarish bottles sealed with red wax. The distillery offers tours, and is part of the American Whiskey Trail and the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Jim Beam is an American brand of bourbon whiskey produced in Clermont, Kentucky, by Beam Suntory. It is one of the best-selling brands of bourbon in the world. Since 1795, seven generations of the Beam family have been involved in whiskey production for the company that produces the brand. The brand name became "Jim Beam" in 1943 in honor of James B. Beam, who rebuilt the business after Prohibition ended. Previously produced by the Beam family and later owned by the Fortune Brands holding company, the brand was purchased by Suntory Holdings in 2014.
Woodford Reserve is a brand of premium small batch Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey produced in Woodford County, Kentucky, by the Brown-Forman Corporation. It is made from a mixture of copper pot still spirits produced at the company's Woodford Reserve Distillery, and column still spirits from the Brown Forman Distillery in Shively, Kentucky. Each 45.2% alcohol by volume bottle bears a unique batch and bottle number. The brand was introduced in 1996. Domestic sales of Woodford Reserve surpassed one million cases in 2021.
Eagle Rare is a brand of bourbon whiskey distilled and distributed by the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Eagle Rare is 90 proof bourbon, aged for either 10 or 17 years, depending on the variety. It was introduced in 1975 and is distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky.
Early Times is a brand of Kentucky whiskey produced by the Sazerac Company, one of the two largest spirits companies in the United States, which purchased the brand in mid-2020. Before the brand purchase, it was distilled in Shively, Kentucky, by the Brown-Forman Corporation, another of the largest North American-owned companies in the spirits and wine business.
American whiskey is whiskey produced in the United States. American whiskeys made from mashes with at least 51% of their named grains include bourbon whiskey, rye whiskey, rye malt whiskey, malt whiskey, wheat whiskey, Tennessee whiskey, and corn whiskey.
Buffalo Trace Distillery is a distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, United States, owned by the Sazerac Company. It has historically been known by several names, including the George T. Stagg Distillery and the Old Fashioned Copper (O.F.C.) Distillery. Its namesake bourbon brand, Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon whiskey, was introduced in August 1999. The name "Buffalo Trace" refers to the ancient buffalo trackway that crosses the Kentucky River in Franklin County, Kentucky. The Sazerac Company purchased the distillery in 1992.
Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve is the flagship brand of bourbon whiskey owned by the "Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery" company. It is distilled and bottled by the Sazerac Company at its Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve is often regarded as one of the finest bourbons in the world, and its very low production and high demand can make it extremely difficult to find.
Nelson's Green Brier Distillery is a whiskey distillery located in downtown Nashville, Tennessee that produces different varieties of Tennessee whiskey and bourbons. The distillery offers daily public tours and tastings as well as a large mercantile shop with bottles, barware and apparel available for purchase. In July 2023, Nelson's Green Brier Distillery opened a newly renovated distillery restaurant and full-service bar at their 1414 Clinton St. Nashville, TN 37203 location. The same facility also now offers four new private event and dining spaces available to rent for corporate functions, weddings and celebrations of varying sizes.
Willett Distillery Ltd, is a private, family-owned-and-operated company that produces bourbon and rye whiskey. Over the years, the company has bottled whiskeys that range from two years of aging maturity up to 28 years. The company was named Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (KBD) between 1984 and 2012.
Blanton's is a brand of bourbon whiskey produced and marketed by the Sazerac Company. Though it does not own the brand, it has exclusive distilling rights. It is owned by Age International, Inc. It is distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
Sazerac Company, Inc. is a privately held American alcoholic beverage company headquartered in Metairie in the metropolitan area of New Orleans, Louisiana, but with its principal office in Louisville, Kentucky. The company is owned by billionaire William Goldring and his family. As of 2017, it operated nine distilleries, had 2,000 employees, and operated in 112 countries. It is one of the two largest spirits companies in the United States, with annual revenue of about $1 billion made from selling about 300 beverage brands.
Old Taylor Bourbon is a brand of straight bourbon whiskey produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Franklin County, Kentucky by the Sazerac Company. It was named in honor of the historic distiller Col. Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr.
Fireball Cinnamon Whisky is a mixture of Canadian whisky, cinnamon flavoring and sweeteners that is produced by the Sazerac Company. Its foundation is Canadian whisky, and the taste otherwise resembles the candy with a similar name, Ferrara Candy Company's "Atomic Fireball" candy. It is bottled at 33% alcohol by volume.
Stitzel–Weller Distillery is a former distillery located in Shively, a suburb of Louisville, Kentucky. It was founded in 1935, sold in 1972, and closed in 1992. It produced a number of notable brands, and since 2014 it has served as a public tourism site for Bulleit Bourbon, as part of the Kentucky Bourbon Trail.
Elmer Tandy Lee was a master distiller at Buffalo Trace Distillery, and master distiller emeritus after his retirement in 1985.