This is the 2023 release of W.L. Weller 12 Year, a wheated Kentucky straight bourbon aged at least 12 years and bottled at 90 proof. It is made at Buffalo Trace in Frankfort to the same wheated recipe as the Van Winkle bourbons.
About This Bourbon
Weller 12 has an age statement of 12 years, so the youngest whiskey in this 2023 bottle went into its barrel in 2011 or earlier. It is bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof). Buffalo Trace lists it as a straight bourbon on its wheated mash, and it has a deeper bronze colour than the younger Weller bottlings.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Toasted vanilla, almond, creamed corn and a light lanolin note.
- Palate: Layered and wheat-led, with gentle sweetness, honey, dried fruit and soft oak.
- Finish: Long and smooth, drying slowly to oak and cocoa.
Serving & Food
Serve at 16 to 18°C in a tulip glass. If you prefer it cooler, one large ice cube keeps the texture while calming the oak. Try it with a cheese board of aged Cheddar and fig jam, or with smoked salmon on rye.
How to Enjoy
A gift for a bourbon drinker who likes wheated bourbon, or a bottle to keep for relaxed sipping at home.
Product Details
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Brand: W.L. Weller
Origin: Kentucky, USA
Style: Kentucky straight bourbon
Mash: Wheated mash
Age: 12 years
Release Year: 2023
ABV: 45%
Proof: 90
Volume: 750mL
About the Distillery
The Weller brand was built by the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company in Louisville, the company Pappy Van Winkle ran. After 1972 it changed hands several times. Since 1999 it has belonged to the Sazerac Company, which owns Buffalo Trace, and the whiskey is now distilled in Frankfort.
At Buffalo Trace, Weller and the Van Winkle bourbons are made from the same wheated recipe. What separates them is barrel selection, age and proof.