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Today would’ve been William Larue Weller’s 200th birthday, and Buffalo Trace is celebrating it with two new additions to the Weller whiskey lineup.
First, let’s back up. The Weller lineup is one of the most coveted lineups in the bourbon world for one simple reason: They’re damn good. The longstanding core of Weller Special Reserve, Weller Antique, and Weller 12 has ballooned to include a bevy of new releases bearing William Larue’s last name. To get you up to speed, Weller C.Y.P.B. debuted in 2018, Weller Full Proof was added in 2019, and 2020 —the year that shall not be named— welcomed Weller Single Barrel into the fold. Since then, they’ve been joined by Daniel Weller (2023) and Weller Millennium (2024).
Now the Weller lineup has two new expressions joining its ranks: the second batch of Weller Millennium and the all-new Weller 18.
Weller Millennium is one we covered last year, but this new batch features a fresh blend of components that were distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2001 (2.9%), 2003 (46.5%), and 2006 (50.6%). Weller Millennium deux, like the inaugural batch, is notably a blend that includes both wheated bourbon, the lineup’s bread and butter, as well as wheat whiskey, which is a spirit that made its debut in the lineup with this expression last year. Eagle-eyed observers will discern the differences between batches 1 and 2 thanks to an updated label that now features a gold-plated info card as opposed to last year’s white label.
Weller 18 is the lineup’s oldest ever age-stated product and marks the first time a full-on wheat whiskey joins the party. This hyper-aged expression is housed in a similar bottle to Weller Millennium, albeit without the fancy box, and will be available via Global Travel Retail at airports including Los Angeles International (LAX), John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and London Heathrow (LHR). This is notable because it will be the first travel-exclusive bottle ever released by Buffalo Trace, and as such, it will come in the 700ml bottle size.
I was among the first in the world to try both of these brand-new expressions when I got a taste of them late last month, and now that they’re officially hitting the market, it’s the perfect time not just to review them, but to review them alongside every other member of the Weller family.
So let’s dive right into our full review of the entire Weller lineup, now updated with two brand-new whiskeys!
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11. Weller Special Reserve
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ABV: 45%
Average Price: $32
The Whiskey:
Weller Special Reserve is the entry-level offering in the highly sought-after Weller lineup. Like all others in the Weller lineup, Weller Special Reserve showcases Buffalo Trace’s wheated mash bill.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose is effusive with honeysuckle and corn-laden sweetness for a mellow and inviting initial pop of aroma. However, there isn’t much underneath those notes on the nose, with only a gentle vanilla aroma and a slightly artificial floral aspect coming through on return visits.
Palate: That floral aspect, which was relegated to being a background player on the nose, comes through with gusto on the palate while clover honey and faint vanilla notes do their best to contend with it from the sidelines. The flavors are speciously rich, but the whiskey’s thin texture prevents them from coming anywhere close to their full potential.
Finish: The finish is where this bourbon gains a few extra points, as the flavors of honeysuckle and vanilla manage to survive the watery mouthfeel and cling to the back of the palate for a satisfying send-off.
Bottom Line:
Weller Special Reserve has never been my cup of tea, even as a last-ditch replacement for the genuinely remarkable Weller Antique. That said, if you squint, there’s just enough flavor in every sip to give you glimpses of just how good Buffalo Trace’s wheated bourbon mash bill can be with additional aging, higher proof, and selective blending. As the least-impressive wheated bourbon on offer from the brand, Weller Special Reserve is reliably average sipper.
10. Daniel Weller
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ABV: 47%
Average Price: $3,000
The Whiskey:
Daniel Weller, one of the newer additions to the Weller lineup, debuted in 2023. This expression is unique because it incorporates an entirely new grain, Emmer wheat, an ancient Egyptian grain, in its mash bill — something that no other Weller product uses.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose comes across as significantly grain-forward, with wheat toast aromas emanating from the glass, along with a pleasant strawberry jam note coupling up with herbal tea, nutmeg, and burnt caramel.
Palate: On the palate, Daniel Weller begins a bit grain forward before becoming delightfully sweet, with fruit bursting. It’s also surprisingly lively, with the strawberry jam from the nose becoming more like a plum on the palate and welcoming the addition of some faint citrus notes with a quotidian mouthfeel.
Finish: The finish is surprisingly drying despite the liveliness of the liquid on the palate, but it also has a moderate length which begs for repeat sips.
Bottom Line:
Daniel Weller was initially launched with much fanfare and intrigue, but now, a few years removed from its release, it has become an afterthought, with Weller Millennium replacing it at the top of the Weller pyramid. Despite that, Daniel Weller is still a perfectly fine bourbon, and one that I had hoped to see return in 2025. However, given its extremely limited bottle count (and the effort it would take to secure one), I wouldn’t suggest breaking your back or your bank to give it a try.
9. Weller 18
Buffalo Trace
ABV: 45%
Average Price: $500
The Whiskey:
Weller 18 is the lineup’s oldest ever age-stated product and marks the first time a full-on wheat whiskey joins the party. This hyper-aged expression is housed in a similar bottle to Weller Millennium, albeit without the fancy box, and will be available via Global Travel Retail at airports including Los Angeles International (LAX), John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and London Heathrow (LHR). This is notable because it will be the first travel-exclusive bottle ever released by Buffalo Trace, and as such, it will come in the 700ml bottle size.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on this whiskey opens with fresh hazelnuts and cherry cordials for a pleasant introduction that draws you deeper into the glass. From there, one can pick up elements of eucalyptus, peanut brittle, and faint clove notes, with dates, tootsie rolls, vanilla, and brown sugar gently blossoming in the background.
Palate: Once in the mouth, the flavors of dates, clove, and peanut brittle lead the way. Once your palate becomes acclimated to this subtle sipper, the flavors of nougat, brown sugar, and hazelnuts really start to shine. The distinct flavor of “wheat funk” gently drums in the background of each sip. The texture is smooth and elegant, albeit a bit austere throughout.
Finish: The medium-length finish on Weller 18 is heavy on peppercorn, vanilla bean, and wheat toast notes with a little drop of honey sweetness to round it all out.
Bottom Line:
Weller 18 is really interesting. That’s not to say that it’s mind-blowing or a must-try, as I found less well-rounded offerings in the lineup to be more dynamic. That said, this one is distinctly different from the rest thanks to its wheat whiskey heritage and a flavor profile that elegantly exhibits that category’s finest qualities.
It’s likely to be bourbon fans who most passionately seek this one out, and to them I say be forewarned. Wheat whiskey is a distinctly different animal, with a noticeably more restrained mouthfeel and moderate complexity. If neither of those notices gives you pause, then you’re definitely going to love this one.
8. Weller Single Barrel
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ABV: 48.5%
Average Price: $700
The Whiskey:
When it comes to bottles that sport Weller’s instantly recognizable colored label, Weller Single Barrel is the most recently launched member of the extremely allocated core lineup. This expression is the only purely single-barrel wheated bourbon in Buffalo Trace’s entire portfolio.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Crisp red apples give way to a slightly savory barbeque sauce note with a bit of honey, vanilla, and oak on top.
Palate: On the palate, there’s the familiar balance of red apples and red berries that Weller is known for, but the fruit notes are more nondescript. There’s a moderate bit of nuance, but overall, this is a pleasant and straightforward bourbon marked by juicy orange notes playing off of the red berries and modest oak tones, melding well with vanilla ice cream flavors with a fairly viscous mouthfeel.
Finish: The finish finds caramel sweetness covering the crisp red apples from the palate and a rising oak prominence joining black pepper spice to balance those sweeter notes.
Bottom Line:
Typical of single-barrel bourbons, each one will be different, but Weller Single Barrel delivers a fairly full-bodied and nuanced sipping experience despite clocking in at a fairly low proof. While it doesn’t do enough to differentiate itself significantly from the rest of the lineup (particularly when one considers the fact that Weller Antique is offered in single barrel format), that doesn’t detract from the fact that it’s a rock-solid wheated bourbon.
7. Weller Full Proof
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ABV: 57%
Average Price: $250
The Whiskey:
Weller Full Proof was officially launched in June 2019. This expression is called “Full Proof” because it isn’t bottled at cask strength but blended and bottled at the ABV point the liquid entered the barrel, which is 114 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose of Weller Full Proof features some of the brand’s hallmark cherry notes but also a bit of Tobasco, sticky toffee, and green tomatoes to go with a touch of caramel sweetness.
Palate: When tasting Weller Full Proof, those disparate and well-developed flavors from the nose hit you all at once, with green tomatoes and some cayenne pepper coming across the palate in lockstep with brown sugar sweetness, toffee, and black cherry pie notes. The texture is robust but a bit prickly, as the ABV can be felt along the edges of the tongue, forming a ring around the sweeter and more savory notes at the tip of the tongue and midpalate.
Finish: The finish is lengthy, albeit a bit drying, and that allows plenty of space for the density of those flavors to reveal themselves as the alcohol blows off and your palate becomes acclimated to its brash texture.
Bottom Line:
Weller Full Proof is a bit imbalanced, but overall, it lives up to its name in that it’s full of flavor. That lack of balance, with assertiveness and absence on the palate coming in fits and starts, makes for a slightly disjointed sipping experience, but one that will be a flavorful challenge for high-proof lovers looking for a rocky ride with atypical sights to see regarding Weller’s more mellow profile.
6. Weller 12-Year
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ABV: 45%
Average Price: $280
The Whiskey:
Weller 12 is one of only two age-stated wheated bourbons in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup. The popular expression first debuted in 2001.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Weller 12 boasts an intriguing aroma bouquet of brown sugar, honeyed black tea, and hazelnut spread, complemented by notes of clove cigarettes and gentle oak tones.
Palate: On the palate is where Weller 12 becomes worth savoring, as its rich flavor notes find a way to prevail despite its relatively thin texture. Look for all of the notes from the nose to return to the palate with brown sugar, clove, and tobacco leaf, claiming the reins before ceding control to hazelnut spread, maple candy, oak, and black tea before the transition to the finish.
Finish: The finish of Weller 12 is where the oak is dialed up a notch, drying the mouth a bit and curtailing the development of some of those rich flavors. Still, before it peters out, each pour leaves plenty of space to appreciate the depth of those earthy and darkly sweet flavors.
Bottom Line:
Weller 12 is both enjoyable and frustrating in that it displays a great depth of flavor, some promising potential, and a forestalled finish. It’s impressively rich, given the proof it’s bottled at, and deftly shows off what maturity can bring to a well-made bourbon. However, with a little more oomph in the proof department and slightly more runway on the back end, it’s easy to see this bourbon being even more awesome.
5. Weller C.Y.P.B.
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ABV: 47.5%
Average Price: $300
The Whiskey:
Weller C.Y.P.B., which is shorthand for “Choose Your Perfect Bourbon,” was first introduced in 2018. Prior to its launch, Buffalo Trace had an interactive feature on its website that encouraged consumers to input their ideal conditions for bourbon, including age, mash bill, and rickhouse location, as options. The brand has stated that this bourbon was created to reflect the site visitors’ most popular input choices.
Fun fact: The website still features the same customization tool to this day, and brand representatives noted that they continue to gather data from fans, which has helped shape new releases, such as those seen in the 1792 portfolio.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on CYPB is full of white chocolate, vanilla, and Rainier cherries with some accenting notes of milk chocolate, allspice, and nougat.
Palate: On the palate is where those Rainier cherries and the white chocolate from the nose come out in full force, but those notes are also joined by some black pepper, honey, and vanilla cone. Overall, the texture is robust, and the flavors themselves are highly refined and dialed in.
Finish: The finish is just barely medium length, but thanks to the depth of the flavors, you’re only left wanting a little more length but a lot more sips.
Bottom Line:
While it isn’t quite the perfect bourbon, Weller C.Y.P.B. is actually a really high-quality representation of the Weller lineup. It’s as crowd-pleasing as good old Weller Antique, but with a bit less nuance and fewer rough edges.
4. Weller Antique 107-Proof Bourbon
ABV: 53.5%
Average Price: $59
The Whiskey:
Old Weller Antique, or Weller 107 as it’s commonly called, is the second expression in Buffalo Trace’s Weller lineup. With an estimated age range of about seven years, it shares a grain recipe, warehouse location, and proof point with Old Rip Van Winkle.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose on Old Weller Antique is befitting of its packaging as candied red apples and honey combine with soft pastry notes, a touch of honey, allspice, and butterscotch.
Palate: On the palate, those candied apple notes achieve an impressive depth, almost mimicking the flavor of apple cider as waves of caramel, mellow oak, and milk chocolate come crashing in. The well-balanced whiskey is aided by a viscous mouthfeel underlined by a prickly infusion of ethanol, black pepper, and tart apple cider vinegar.
Finish: For its closing word, Weller Antique offers a fresher note of stone fruit and Rainier cherries, dipped in milk chocolate and closing with vanilla ice cream. The finish is medium-length but substantive, allowing enough space for each flavor note to have its say before tapering away.
Bottom Line:
Good old Weller Antique is highly sought after for existing under the halo of its big brother from the Buffalo Trace Antique lineup and for being the best readily available option in the core group once upon a time. Truthfully, this might be the most versatile and underrated whiskey in the Weller portfolio, despite having become just as hard to find as the rest of them. It remains an incredible mid-shelf bourbon capable of besting far more expensive wheated bourbons in blind tastings — provided you can find it at a reasonable price.
3. Weller Millennium Batch #1 (2024)
Buffalo Trace
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $7,500
The Whiskey:
This blend of wheat whiskey and wheated bourbon marks the first time the Weller lineup has showcased a wheat whiskey. It’s a blend of straight bourbon and wheat whiskeys distilled in 2000 (3%), 2003 (50%), 2005 (40%), and 2006 (7%), and it’s housed in an elegant decanter, which itself is held in an equally showy display case that features 99 sunbursts surrounding the bottle — representative of the whiskey’s 99 proof points.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Full of ebullient wheat notes and showing a pleasantly fruit-forward bouquet, this nose immediately reads like a wheated American whiskey. Prominent aromas include the likes of black cherry, apple slices, and honey. There’s also an impressive vanilla undertone, which is accented by graham crackers, celery seed, and leather.
Palate: When sipping this whiskey, you’ll taste a strong foundation of honey and graham cracker notes with the flavor of black cherries claiming center stage. Overall, the mouthfeel is incredibly rich and viscous, which is a benefit to the flavor profile, as it allows those sweet, fruit-forward notes to coat your tongue and blossom to their full potential. There’s also caramel and a robust oak presence that undergirds it all, indicating that this whiskey is well-aged while remaining true to wheated bourbon’s core flavor profile, despite the undisclosed amount of wheat whiskey in the blend.
Finish: The finish is satisfyingly prolonged, as the viscous mouthfeel leads to a tongue-coating experience that helps extend the length of those well-developed sweet notes. Vanilla ice cream and white pepper join the medley of flavors on the back end, and while the viscousness does taper off, the caramel-drizzled fruit notes remain long after your last sip.
Bottom Line:
If you want to sip whiskey like it’s 1999, that is to say, if you want an ultra-aged expression that delivers a rich vintage profile, then you’ve found the Weller for you. The price may give you pause, but Weller Millennium offers a more mature take on the prototypical Weller profile, displaying slight tweaks on the periphery that serve to elevate it as a whole. With a deft balance of flavors, an impressively distinct texture, and a deceptively lengthy finish, Weller Millennium is seemingly bottled at the perfect proof. Millennium’s decadence is only rivaled by William Larue in Buffalo Trace’s Weller stable, and it easily outpaces Daniel Weller as a sumptuous sipping experience.
As Buffalo Trace continues to push the boundaries of ultra-aged American whiskey and extend the upper limits of premium-priced American whiskey, Weller Millennium is an expression that comfortably fits into both categories, despite being regretfully out of reach for most consumers.
2. Weller Millennium Batch #2(2025)
Buffalo Trace
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $7,500
The Whiskey:
This new batch from the Weller Millennium label features a fresh blend of components that were distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2001 (2.9%), 2003 (46.5%), and 2006 (50.6%). This year’s blend doesn’t include the liquid component from 2000 used in 2024’s blend because the remaining barrels of that whiskey were exhausted in the original blend. Weller Millennium deux, like the inaugural batch, is notably a blend that includes both wheated bourbon, the lineup’s bread and butter, as well as wheat whiskey, which is a spirit that made its debut in the Weller lineup with this brand last year. You can visually distinguish between batches 1 and 2 thanks to an updated label that now features a gold-plated information card, as opposed to last year’s white label.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nose begins with a very similar profile to the 2024 batch, though the richness is dialed up a tad as its equally fruit-forward aroma profile finds ripe cherries, Manuka honey, lush vanilla tones, and fresh apples effusing out of the glass. Those accenting notes of celery seed are still present, with a bit more of a peppercorn spice kick, and pie crust propping it all up.
Palate: On the palate, this whiskey’s sweetness is undeniable as layers of vanilla custard, ripe black cherries, and cinnamon sable cookies come in waves over the tongue. The mouthfeel is generous and buttery, allowing the whiskey to effectively coat your tongue and rewarding repeat sips or chewing.
Finish: The medium-to-long finish is where some of that spice kick emerges in lockstep with the silky honey flavors. That means black pepper and nutmeg hit the spot as the fruity, honey-laden sweetness slowly recedes from your palate as the liquid leaves.
Bottom Line:
Wow! I was a big fan of Weller Millennium’s inaugural batch, but it almost felt a bit…safe. For such an exorbitantly priced bourbon, it lacked the pop or originality to truly command your attention while drinking it. For those who have doubts about trying it, I’d say it tastes like the best Weller Antique Single Barrel you’ve ever had, but even better.
Weller Millennium Batch #2 easily outdoes the banal excellence of its predecessor with a richer and overall more dynamic tasting experience that pushes the spice forward for added balance while retaining the lush sweetness of its maiden voyage. Cast aside any concerns about its modest proof-point, Weller Millennium Batch #2 is an exquisite whiskey that bears all the refinement you expect at its asking price.
1. William Larue Weller Bourbon (2025)
Buffalo Trace Distillery
ABV: 62.9%
Average Price: $1,800
The Whiskey:
Aged on the lower floor of an undisclosed Buffalo Trace warehouse, last year’s William Larue Weller offering was matured for 12 years before being bottled at full cask strength. While the barrel entry proof of this liquid was a modest 114 proof, the 2024 edition of the vaunted William Larue Weller, through the process of aging, crept all the way up to 125.8 proof.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The nosing notes on this one open with dense caramel, rich cherries, and an alluring splash of milk chocolate. The aromas of sweet oak, clove cigarettes, and honey-drizzled mint sprigs also come wafting out of the glass after a few waves of the hand.
Palate: The impressiveness of this bourbon begins with the dense texture, which efficiently coats your palate with brown sugar, black pepper, apple leather, and candied walnuts. Each of those notes is really rich and well-developed, leading to you sucking your teeth and mining your tastebuds to see just how deep those flavors will seep into your palate.
Finish: Cinnamon, red pepper flakes, and honeyed black tea mark the lengthy finish. As the oak begins to encroach on each of those sweet notes, some brown sugar also curtails the drying and leaves you drooling for more.
Bottom Line:
Look, if you come at the king, you best not miss. The 2024 William Larue Weller is a triumph that carries the mantle well and continues the brand’s reputation as being one of the finest bourbons on the market today. Despite how impressed I was with Buffalo Trace’s brand-new batch of Weller Millennium, given its bold proof point and full-bodied layers of flavor, it’s damn near impossible to knock William Larue Weller off its perch as the best bourbon in the Weller lineup.
While the rest of the group bears his surname, the bottle that sports William Larue Weller’s full name is appropriately the one he should be most proud of. If you’re raising a glass to the late/great bourbon innovator, then this is definitely the finest choice of them all.
