My New Year’s resolution is to get a review up of all five bottles in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) before the end of January. Luckily for me, I found The Arvada Tavern just fifteen minutes away from my house which has all five bottles for $15 for a two ounce pour so I can review them without opening all of mine at once. I already have the Stagg review up, and next on the chopping block is my favorite perennial release, the William Larue Weller (WLW).

The 2013 WLW was distilled in 2001, and aged for twelve years on “the third and fourth floors of Warehouses M and P,” which in a simplistic light makes it a 136.2 proof version of the Weller 12 Year or recent releases of the Van Winkle Lot B. Just about every vintage of WLW has been between 11 and 13 years, but the 2000 through 2002 BTAC  Weller was an age stated, 19 year wheater that has risen to epic status in the history of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. That 19 year “W.L Weller” is pretty darn high on my bourbon bucket list, but until that glorious day when the 19 year Weller and I finally embrace, a 12 year WLW will do just fine.

The economics of Buffalo Trace wheaters is going to get very confusing here in the future as the barrels get divvied up between the Pappy and Weller brands. You now have wheated BT stock getting pulled at the six to eight year mark (Weller SR and Antique 107), the ten year mark (Old Rip 10 Year), the twelve year mark by three brands (Weller 12, Van Winkle Lot B 12 Year, WLW BTAC), fifteen years (PVW15), twenty years (PVW20), and soon it will also be pulled at twenty-three years (PVW23).

How they will make sure each brand gets their fair share is a problem I am glad to be free of, but surely having so many popular brands is a good problem to have for Buffalo Trace. As for the WLW, these releases have been consistently great, and my most anticipated BTAC every year.

William Larue Weller (2013, 136.2 proof) Review

Color: WLW is a brilliant, dark maple syrup with a slight copper tinge.

Nose: Prolific wheater nose with loads of caramel, cinnamon, toffee, and soft cocoa. There is also a nice, sweet pipe tobacco and rich, dark oak, which adds plenty of depth as well as some ripe banana and fig.

Sip: The oily, rich mouthfeel showcases the uncut, unfiltered bourbon’s backbone. Great layers of dark, chewy caramel, butterscotch, thick honey/agave and vanilla cream lead the front palate. Dark fruits, some pear, a soft cinnamon and a huge baking spice transition to a very mature and bitter oaky char, and smooth tobacco in the back. The alcohol burns in the best way, and a drop of water really opens of the dark sugars and fruity mid palate.

Finish: Super long, very dry, and just as deep as the sip. The pipe tobacco, baking spice and a rich candied pecan note linger long after the sip right along side the warm tingle from the high proof.

Overall Grade: A-

Another strong showing for the William Larue Weller line. Great balance, tons of character, and a huge nose that has a profile that follows suit. I really enjoyed this year’s Stagg, but the Weller once again shows my weakness for cask strength wheaters. If I had to choose between the two, I would probably go with the Weller due to the slightly more enjoyable finish, and the fact that I can really draw out the WLW’s shelf life with that high proof.

A small ding comes from the rougher back end in the profile, which was surprisingly heavy and rough compared to previous years.

Drink this, not that: Unfortunately, there is no real alternative to many of the BTAC bottles except for Stagg and maybe Eagle Rare 17. Where can you get another cask strength wheater? When is the last time you had a Willett FE rye that came even close to a Thomas H. Handy? How often do you see any age stated American ryes in the teens? I suppose you can get pretty close to Eagle Rare 17 with some of the top shelf Buffalo Trace offerings, but these BTAC bottles are so rare because they are so… well… rare.

You can get a bottle of Weller 12 if you just want the age and mashbill. You can get a bottle of Weller Antique 107 if you want a slightly higher proof. You can even have endless nights of enjoyment by vatting the two at different ratios, but you cannot get close to a 130+ proof wheated bourbon without breaking in to Buffalo Trace and stealing something, and I am pretty sure that window is closed.

Filed under: A Grade Bourbons, Blog of Bourbon, Colorado Bourbon Bars Tagged: Bourbon, Bourbon review, Buffalo Trace, buffalo trace antique collection, Weller, William Larue Weller