Wheated Archives - First Pour Cocktails

Rebel 100 Bourbon

Posted on September 20, 2023September 17, 2023 by Nick

Unless you live in a state like Ohio, you probably aren’t buying Weller Special Reserve for $23 at any regularity. This is a shame too, because honestly, Weller Special Reserve is great at it’s price tag (and not worth $40-50 or even the $100 you’ll see at store that are gouging). So then what should you buy if you’re looking for a wheated bourbon? While the shining example on the hill is Maker’s Mark, they’re not the only brand, so what about Rebel 100 Bourbon which comes in $5 cheaper?

Rebel 100 Bourbon

Distiller: Lux Row Distillers
Age: Not Age Stated
Proof: 100 (50% A.B.V.)

Sight: Deep copper

Smell: Peanut and chocolate lead out with a musty grain and preserved cherry note. Cinnamon and light alcohol notes come through with a little bit of orange and more raw grain. Hints of spice, like pepper or chili are present as well.

Sip: The mouthfeel is thin and pull in light dark chocolate flavors and hints of cereal grain. The mouthfeel is slightly rough, but gets some oak, tobacco, vanilla, and fleeting cherry or plum skin. Light citrus, smoked leather, and grain is present as well.

Savor: There’s a bit of bite that gives way to tobacco and oak and a slightly underlying fruit. Bitter cherry is also a little present in the edges.

Rebel 100 Bourbon is a little rough around the edges but not bad. There’s a few different things going on, but none of them are particularly pronounced or deep. The flavors that are present are cohesive but muddled. The entirety of the experience doesn’t really make it scream ‘drink me’ while neat.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan there’s sweetness and a hint of spice and berry notes to start. The mouthfeel is a little on the light side, and the flavors have a black currant, cherry, and oak underpinning. Bits of chocolate and walnut wood round out the finish. As a Manhattan, Rebel 100 Bourbon feels a bit underwhelming and wouldn’t be a first choice.

In Review – Rebel 100 Bourbon

Rebel 100 Bourbon is light, easy going, and affordable. The proof doesn’t overly assert itself, which is nice. Nothing is bad here, but nothing is great either. At $20, this is right about where it should be, but it’s only a few dollars off of Maker’s Mark (or in the right place, Weller Special Reserve). The price difference just isn’t great enough to justify not taking the step up in quality.

If you’re willing to step away from wheated bourbon, there’s a lot competing in the $20 market, like Old Forester 100 and Jim Beam. Arguably Old Forester 100 delivers more in this context, and it’s really going to be about preference when compared with Beam. All of these might be more versatile choices for setting up your bar, with a wheated bourbon being an add on.

Maker’s Mark: Crumble Coffee Cake – OHLQ Exclusive 2022

Posted on May 31, 2023March 13, 2023 by Nick

As mentioned in our review of Maker’s Mark Marshmallow Krispy Treat, Maker’s does a fairly substantial presence on the shelves as private selections (or store picks). These picks are made up of combinations of finishing staves to impart different flavors on 5 – 7 year old Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. The finished Maker’s Mark Cask Strength then aged for an additional 9 weeks in temperature controlled conditions. Unlike their Marshmallow Krispy Treat, this offering is going for a more breakfast or dessert approach, as they’ve selected the name Maker’s Mark: Crumble Coffee Cake.

As always, be aware these combinations get reused by other private selections with different names, so double check your stave profiles to avoid duplicates or find your favorites.

Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake

OHLQ described Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake as follows:

Complex, velvety mouthfeel with aromas of roasted coffee beans, and rich flavors of brown sugar, warm cinnamon and bold baking spices, pie crust, and dried fruit.

Stave Profile:
- 2 Baked American Pure
- 2 Maker’s Mark 46
- 2 Roasted French Mendiant
- 4 Toasted French Spice
Proof: 111.3 (ABV 55.65%)
Age: NAS

As I split this bottle with a friend, the fill level is at half.

Sight: A pleasant oloroso sherry.

Smell: The nose erupts with vanilla and caramel. Behind them comes in this wonderful unctuous, creamy coffee note. Like a cappuccino with some cinnamon on top. A subtle dessert pastry like note comes in with plenty of brown sugar and a hint of preserved fruits, syrupy cherry, and baking spice.

Sip: The body lighter than the proof would imply, and before you read lots of sweet words, drier than it seems from the nose. A coffee and perfumed vanilla note comes through, before the heat starts joining. The midpalate has a more crumbly brown sugar note going on, with more vanilla, touches of caramel, and a bit of dried fruit. The back end gets vanilla cream heavy, somehow feeling lanolin and thin at the same time, but nailing this vanilla frosting note.

Savor: The ending is a cacophony of vanillas mixing with caramel and some obvious oak. The add in of spice and brown sugars make this combination a bit muddle, but does do a good job of conveying a dessert / cake like element. Perhaps just a bit of bitter tannins on the end.

Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake has a highly developed nose, and a palate that tries to keep up. The influence of the different finishes on the nose is really stunning, drawing you in like you’re about to have dessert. The taste is good but dry, but has a middling level of complexity that keeps you picking at it. The ending is where it gets a little muddled, throwing every sweet note from the staves at you, with vanilla (capital VANILLA) wherever it can. Overall, it’s fun to sip, but certainly not going to be the sort of bottle you shout from the roof tops about.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, this expression of Maker’s Mark does a beautiful vanilla and caramel cream mix across a background of baking spice (leaning toward clove). The coffee notes of the oak really come out here, giving a nice subtle roasty nature to the whole drink. Made with Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake, the drink comes out like a mature dessert, that would probably pair well with actual coffee cake or a dessert with less sweetness (like flourless chocolate cake).

In Review – Maker’s Mark Crumble Coffee Cake

While Maker’s Mark Crumble Cake seems like it should be a dessert, it’s more dry than the name implies. Despite this, it’s an ok sipper that probably slightly undersells its $70 price tag. The shine here is in making a bang on dessert like Manhattan. It keeps your wanting another sip that goes all the way through vanilla and caramel with a cup of coffee. While this is a good bottle, the price tag means you’ll have to weigh how much you want to enjoy quite good bourbon, versus how much you want look for great bourbon or a new bottle.

Put differently, Maker’s continues to put out solid, high floor / low ceiling bottles that range from good to very good, but slide slightly short of great. This bottle falls toward to the good side of the spectrum, but is still very enjoyable.

Maker’s Mark: Marshmallow Krispy Treat – OHLQ Exclusive 2022

Posted on February 8, 2023January 25, 2023 by Nick

In addition to Maker’s Mark’s annual wood finishing series bottles (FAE-01 / FAE-02), they also have a fairly substantial presence on the shelves as private selections (or store picks). The picks are made up of combinations of finishing staves to impart different flavors on 5 – 7 year old Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. The finished Maker’s Mark Cask Strength then aged for an additional 9 weeks in temperature controlled conditions. For this selection, the Ohio Liquor team has named the combination Maker’s Mark: Marshmallow Krispy Treat.

Be aware, these combinations get reused by other private selections with different names, so double check your stave profiles to avoid duplicates or find your favorites.

Maker’s Mark Marshmallow Krispy Treat

OHLQ described Maker’s Mark Marshmallow Krispy Treat as follows:

Aromas of vanilla and oak, with a confectionary profile of marshmallow, freshly-baked bread, candy, and hints of pear.

Stave Profile:
- 5 Baked American Pure
- 3 Seared French Cuvee
- 2 Maker’s Mark 46
Proof: 111.3 (ABV 55.65%)
Age: NAS

Sight: Chestnut Oloroso Sherry

Smell: Beautiful notes of a roasting campfire and vanilla start things off. The vanilla laces with a pleasant icing sugar / marshmallow interior. There’s a nice baked pie crust element, and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. There is a slight amount of poached pear.

Sip: The start is slightly hot, but picks up with plenty of roasted oak, vanilla, and toasted marshmallow notes. The heat has a little bit more of that pear note, and a bit of yeastiness. There’s a hint of red hot spice. That vanilla really is slightly drier but picks up a good amount of toasted marshmallow exterior and even more oak.

Savor: The ending has a yeasty, graham cracker like note laced with toasted marshmallow and roasted oak. The finish has a bit more heat and then carries forward with more icing sugar and hints of spice.

Maker’s Mark Marshmallow Krispy Treat is full of luxurious vanilla-marshmallow flavors and a touch of heat. This doesn’t quite ever break out of this lane from the smell through the body. Depending on how you interpret very consistent, clear flavors this is either really great, or really boring. As a sipper goes, it’s tasty, maybe better for after dinner or by the fire, and not overwhelmingly complex.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan Maker’s Mark Marshmallow Krispy Treat is a decidedly dry despite the sweet aromas. The pear that showed up around the edges comes forward with a touch of the wine notes from the vermouth with plenty of spice from the bitters and oak. There are pleasant aromatic vanilla elements that come into play as well, with a bit of caramel. The finish is roasted marshmallow exterior mixed with vanilla extract. It’s an interesting, if slightly dry Manhattan.

In Review – Maker’s Mark Marshmallow Krispy Treat

In my experience Maker’s Mark picks have a very high floor and a generally low ceiling when it comes to impressiveness. This pick falls closer to that high floor than the low ceiling, showing a solid and enjoyable pick that delivers more in branding than complexity. That doesn’t make this a bad bottle of whiskey by any means, but it is sitting at $70, which is a fair amount of money. Like most picks, you won’t know unless you buy, and while I wouldn’t necessarily seek out this exact pick, Maker’s Mark picks remain a good buy for a dependable store pick for a unique taste of their product.

If you just want the power of the pick, than consider Maker’s Mark Cask Strength at less than half the cost, or their Maker’s Mark 46 Cask Strength for around the same price.

Larceny Barrel Proof (A122)

Posted on January 4, 2023January 2, 2023 by Nick

Some of the easiest Heaven Hill barrel proof releases to obtain are the three times a year Elijah Craig & Larceny Barrel Proof offerings. While Elijah Craig is their standard bourbon offering, their Larceny Barrel Proof represents their wheated offering. While opinions have suggested in years past that the Elijah Craig release has been the better, higher proof of the two, recent opinions are shifting to show that Larceny might be getting the upper hand. Their release from the first trimester of 2022 was A122, where the discussion of which is better started, so does it live up to the hype, and should you consider making it for cocktails.

Larceny Barrel Proof (A122)

Proof: 124.4 (A.B.V. – 62.2%)
Age: No Age Statement (NAS) – reportedly 6-8 years.
Mash Bill: 68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Malted Barley
Secondary Nicknames: LBP A122

Sight: Auburn – Mahogany

Smell: Beautiful notes of vanilla and toasted oak waft out of the nose with a smack of gamey leather. Dark chocolate, roasted peanuts, and a rick house note run though. A ribbon of caramel comes through with a bit of black cherry and blackberry. The nose leans savory and sweet with plenty of oak influence, and less fruit. A moderate amount of heat can be noted, although it’s more of a slow burn than a whack of ethanol.

Sip: There’s a pleasant sort of smooth, sweet caramel / vanilla oak note that settles in for a while as it warms up. It eventually starts to give way toward deeper charred notes, blackberry tea, cigar, hazelnut, and mild spice. The oak is heavy, slightly funky, a touch bitter, and there is heat that gradually creeps in.

Savor: The finish is warm, pulling in cinnamon, clove, and deeply charred oak. As the finish continues, it pulls in some char, caramel, and cigar notes. It leans dry as it goes with a bit of plum skin. Lingering warmth – per their website – is an apt description.

Larceny Barrel Proof A122 is a deliciously oaky and unapologetic barrel proof wheated offering. The caramel and vanilla notes are a real highlight here, and they balance out some of the weight of the oak, while not getting lost. The nutty and fruity elements are present, but they’re pretty subdued, and usually masquerading as a fruit adjacent item (like tea). As a straight sipper, it’s tasty, if slightly leaning into the oak / sweet element side of things.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, the oaky nature takes center stage, showing off the oak and its vanilla. The red fruit in the vermouth shows up and the spice comes in with a nice like pop. Despite this, caramel that shows up in the neat poor isn’t as obvious in the cocktail at first blush. Instead, as it heats up, caramel and butterscotch notes come forward. Overall, the oak dominates, and the overall character of the drink is very aggressively toward the aged wood side of the spectrum. Sadly, the Larceny Barrel Proof Manhattan feels unbalanced.

In Review – Larceny Barrel Proof (A122)

Larceny Barrel Proof A122 is good neat, and a bit unhinged in a standard cocktail. This isn’t to say it’s bad, but it isn’t particularly versatile. For those that love heavily oaked offerings, like Elijah Craig Toasted Barrel, this should be a slam dunk (and is coincidentally a Heaven Hill offering). For those that prefer fruitier, floral, or dessert like flavors, you can probably avoid this one.

Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon

Posted on December 21, 2022January 3, 2023 by Nick

Released after Passover annually, Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon is made with the same high quality grains as W.L. Weller. As it is kosher, it is only run after all other non-kosher spirit has been cleaned from the line, and then barreled in specific kosher barrels. The whiskey is aged for 7 years, and bottled at 94 proof. The result of all this work with the Chicago Rabbinical Counsel (cRc) is a bottle that retails near $40, and is immediately horded in the current bourbon community. So is it worth the hunt?

Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon

Age: 7 Years
Proof: 94 (47% A.B.V.)

Sight: Chestnut Oloroso Sherry

Smell: The nose starts with a well rounded mix of cherries slathered in caramel sauce and dripped with a bit of vanilla whipped cream. It gives way to a mix of baking spice and stone fruit with a touch of toasted croissant. There’s a little twinge of heat, but it’s more of a brightness than a hotness. Subtle touches of marmalade and berries are in the background with a slight musky note.

Sip: The body starts off light and smooth, before building toward a more moderate, slightly warm steady point. A ton of baked cherries and vanilla come out with a nice amount of caramel. There’s some spice that comes in here, more general cinnamon with light clove, and a good amount of toasty oak. Touches of almond get involved with a bit of pastry marzipan thing.

Savor: The ending carries forward the cherries, toasted oak, slight almond, and a good hint of spice. The finish lingers pleasantly without being aggressive.

Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat is really delightful, with a beautiful emphasis toward the cherries, vanilla, and caramel notes. The touches of almond and toasty oak keep things mellow and still delivers a ton of flavor. The easy going nature means you’re not fighting the proof to enjoy the underlying flavors. While it isn’t overly complex, it feels elegant and well balanced.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan it provides some really beautiful soaring caramel and vanilla creme notes that open up into preserved cherries and hints of blackberry. Plum skin and spice join in, and give it a bit of a kick. Pastry crème and almond round out the background and finish with a little hint of oak. The flavors are clear, concise, and inviting. The drink ends up being a bit more elegant than many barrel proof fans will enjoy, but will lend itself to more vermouth choices.

Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon Compared to Old Weller Antique

While Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon is obviously proofed down, this gives it a little more room to open up to fruitier notes (more stone fruit / marmalade) and more of the floral vanilla / caramel. It still has spice there, but it’s not the dominating cinnamon that W.L. Weller Antique sometimes gives off. This is a much more gentle, subtle, inviting pour on initial impression.

Looking at the side by side, the W.L. Weller Antique screams caramel, cherries, and cinnamon out loud, and then likes to keep the flavor turned up. It has some more fig and dark fruit notes than the Kosher. The finish takes that cinnamon and just keeps it going, where the Kosher is a little more toward the caramel and vanilla notes with a bit of almond. Overall, both are good, but I’d give the edge to the Kosher Wheat, depending on my mood and activity based.

In Review – Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon

As a seasonal release, Buffalo Trace Kosher Wheat Bourbon really doesn’t have an ordinary spot on your bar. Given it’s slightly unique pedigree, you can probably supplant it with normal Buffalo Trace or Weller Special Reserve / Antique, which you probably have to do unless you’re stockpiling it between seasons. That said, I think it is slightly better than either Weller and Buffalo trace for what it offers, but not enough so to justify the mark ups that connect to these Kosher bottles. At $40, this feels about right. At the $90 it can command in the secondary, it’s just beyond the pail for anyone but the most ardent of Buffalo Trace enthusiasts.

Maker’s Mark FAE-01 – Wood Finishing Series

Posted on October 19, 2022October 18, 2022 by Nick

A part of Maker’s Mark’s Wood Finishing series, Maker’s Mark FAE-01 is their spring expression for 2021, and the latest in a line of annual releases focused on unique aspects about Maker’s Mark. Sometimes affectionately referred to as the “license plate” series due to their name, the 2021 releases chose to focus on unique elements that make Maker’s – Maker’s.

FAE-01 aims to highlight the barrel extraction flavors found in Maker’s Cask Strength
FAE-02 aims to highlight the textural notes and smooth mouthfeel elements of Maker’s Mark.

Maker’s Mark FAE-01

Maker’s Mark FAE-01 is produced starting from fully matured Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. Once fully matured, 10 virgin toasted American Oak Staves were added. Maker’s notes that these staves were only toasted on one side to help emphasize the smell of the barrel warehouse. They do not specify the additional aging time with these staves.

Age: NAS
Proof: 110.3 (55.15% ABV)
Finishing: 10 Virgin Toasted American Oak Staves

This is the third expression in their Wood Finishing series, which starts in 2019 with a single release (RC6), and was followed in 2020 with a second release (SE4xPR5). 2021 marked the first year with a spring and fall offering.

It also has the hardest cork to reinsert of any bottle I’ve ever owned. However, it definitely seals well.

Sight: A happy tawny.

Smell: Big bursts of cherries erupt, ranging the gamut from fresh and juicy to candied to dried. Elements of vanilla, caramel, and light oak charred wrap around them. Other notes of stone fruit, candied berries, and tobacco come through. There’s hints of heat and random pops of spice. The nose feels rich and thick despite the bursts of ethanol.

Sip: The mouthfeel is instantly thick and rich. The start has a nice sweetness and the preserved cherry notes, coffee, espresso, and caramels come out immediately. It evolves somewhat rapidly, building in levels of heat, but also extracting more roasted oak, tobacco, plenty of spice, and more stone fruit. There’s even a little hint of orange zest, banana, and clove. As it build, it maintains it’s richness, but gets aggressively heavy and hot.

Savor: The finish is oaky with a slight creaminess and plenty of cherries and fruit. One of the impressive things is the length. As it lingers, it brings in more roasted oak notes, plum skins, and cigar box. There’s even a bit of dark roast going on.

Maker’s Mark FAE-01 is rich, smooth, and more than a little high strung. The flavor profile is really delightful and Maker’s hits there goal of delivering additional mouthfeel. The richness on the palate is really unparalleled by their standard offering. The flavors really delight the fruitiness of the whiskey while giving a lot of room to the American oak. The only down side is the proof of 110.3 here really comes across in every last point of proof. Don’t take too big a sip or hold it too long, and this shouldn’t be a huge issue.

In Cocktails

In all likelihood, you aren’t using Maker’s Mark FAE-01 to make drinks. If you end up finding yourself so compelled though, you’ll find that FAE-01 works well enough, adding caramel and cherry bursts between notes of spice and oak. There’s a bit of char that pervades on the finish. While the flavors are pleasant, and the Manhattan is good, with a bit of a honeyed note, this clearly doesn’t feel like the best use of this whiskey.

In Review – Maker’s Mark FAE-01

Maker’s Mark FAE-01 is really quite good, and priced fairly at $60. The mouth feel is really the highlight here, and the value is in savoring on it’s own. While it doesn’t make a bad drink, you could make an equally good drink with a cheaper bottle – like their Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. Based on this, and the fact that this was a one time allocated release, we recommend this bottle for bourbon enthusiasts, but doesn’t need a place on your home shelf.

Maker’s Mark 101

Posted on August 12, 2022August 11, 2022 by Nick

A new limited release, Maker’s Mark 101 sits almost perfectly between their Cask Strength and standard offerings. In theory, this means it should be the perfect amount of additional flavor and weight over their entry point, without the extra flavor of their finishes, and without hitting the highest proof point. Why they chose this specific proof point isn’t immediately clear, but the price point isn’t halfway between their basic and cask strength, so does it bring enough flavor to justify?

Maker’s Mark 101

Sight: A solid burnished copper

Smell: A caramel-cherry sweetness leads off rather bombastically. A brown sugar and vanilla laced oak comes in and gives a richness and almost a hint of sweet cream. There’s a bit of a baking spice component going on as well, and the nose is deeply concentrated without being hot.

Sip: The mouthfeel has a solid, almost thick weight to it. The smoothness has a prickle of heat though that builds over time. The fresh cherry flavors continue their frontal assault with plenty of almond now. The vanilla lingers, but the caramel is a bit more reserved, instead allowing oak, dried dark fruit, and spice to have a little more of the forefront.

Savor: The finish ends with a heavy dose of oak and spice with just a little alcohol. Cherries gradually peak out as the finish goes.

Maker’s Mark 101 has this interesting effect of making Maker’s Mark seem emaciated by comparison. Those extra points of proof don’t seem like a lot, but the richness here really sets it apart from their standard offering.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan, the cherry and dark fruit notes come to the forefront. The caramel and oak notes gets rather strong and the overall body has a nice silkiness. It almost is subtly sweet, like eating a ripe piece of fruit drizzled with caramel syrup. The interesting thing is the spices seem to be more in the background, appearing more toward the end with a bit of tannin.

In Review – Maker’s Mark 101

Maker’s Mark 101 is really delicious, if not quite positioned in a cost price point that makes a lot of sense. At just under $40, it sits $15 higher than the standard offering, but comes in just a few dollars less than the cost of Maker’s Mark Cask Strength. Given there doesn’t seem to be any obvious difference in age, the question would be why not just by the easier to find Cask Strength. Regrettably, this question doesn’t seem to have a particularly obvious answer. With all that said, if you like Maker’s this is a must try, but for a few dollars more the Cask Strength is as good and easier to find.

W. L. Weller Antique

Posted on July 15, 2022January 9, 2023 by Nick

W. L. Weller Antique, more commonly referred to as Old Weller Antique (OWA), Weller Antique 107, or just red Weller, is a wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace Distillery. Thanks to the bourbon craze originally unleashed for Pappy Van Winkle, all things even possibly made of a similar mashbill ended up being chased by bourbon enthusiasts. As a result, cheap bottles like Weller Special Reserve and Weller Antique went from common, cheap, and wildly available to insane secondary values or being used as currency more than they’re consumed. Weller Antique fits squarely into the second half of this, where it more often serves as trade bait than actual drinking whiskey.

W. L. Weller Antique

To start, lets compare Weller Antique to Weller Special Reserve. Purportedly, these wheated bourbons are made of the same mashbill at Buffalo Trace. They’re aged a similar period of time, and then bottled at different proofs. Other than the label, these are the biggest differences.

Sight: Chestnut – oloroso sherry in hue.

Smell: A nice mix of cinnamon and hints of vanilla bean lead things off. Touches of walnut and stone fruit are joined by preserved bing cherries and other dark fruits. There’s also a little bit of roasted honey and a couple of whiffs of heat.

Sip: The mouthfeel is smooth and leads off with caramel and vanilla notes that are immediately inundated with cinnamon and touches of wood smoke. Cherries and hints of fig come out and are joined by oak and brown sugar. The proof isn’t overtly noticeable other than adding some weight to the middling body.

Savor: The ending continues with some oak and a healthy dose of cinnamon bark. It lingers with a good amount of tannins and a hint of tobacco.

W. L. Weller Antique is a nice, easy going sip with a healthy amount of complexity, and clearly defined flavors. The sweet elements are well contrasted with the spice, and there’s just enough dark fruit in there to keep things lively and interesting. The sugars and oak shifting around give layers to the flavor. As a sipper, it’s clearly why W. L. Weller Antique is popular.

In Cocktails

In a Manhattan there’s a nice cinnamon and brown sugar play that leads things off. The vermouth gets a good amount of the stage adding in dark berry notes and cherry elements. The oak and tobacco hints come through as well. On the finish, it’s balanced, a touch tannic, and a hint sweet and oaky. Overall, it does well in a Manhattan, but wouldn’t necessarily be a stand out component.

Now that I’ve finished making a bunch of the taters clutch their pearls, let’s move on to the overall.

In Review – W. L. Weller Antique

W. L. Weller Antique is a very nice sipping whiskey, that has a good amount of complexity and friendly flavors. The proof provides a nice amount of punch and flavor without it being pushy. While it does just fine in cocktails, no one is likely buying it for making mixed drinks. There within lies the two problems with OWA.

You probably won’t find OWA at MSRP outside of controlled liquor states. Even then, you likely will need to hunt to find a bottle (and might even need to become a dreaded tater!)
The MSRP is $50. At $50 it’s a good, solid value sipper. It is not, however, particularly deep, interesting, or a good bottle for making cocktails with.

As with all allocated bottles, we can’t recommend W. L. Weller Antique as a bottle to keep on you shelf (due to availability). However, if you do happen to find a bottle at MSRP or a decent priced pour on a restaurant list, it’s worth trying to see if you feel the hype is worth it.

W. L. Weller Special Reserve

Posted on August 2, 2019January 9, 2023 by Nick

Back in 2010 I was fortunate enough to Pappy Van Winkle 23 in a bar in Manhattan. Ironically – and at the risk of being called a heathen – I didn’t think much of it – ranking it a solid 3 points out of 10 below the Sunatory 1984. This probably wasn’t a fair comparison either – but apparently I had perfect timing for avoid the hype train that’s been running all over the bourbon world. Uninsulated from this is trend is Weller Special Reserve.

W. L. Weller Special Reserve

Produced at the Buffalo Trace distillery in Kentucky, Weller Special Reserve is bottled at 90 proof. While it is bourbon, the mash bill is not listed on the web site – you can assume it’s using wheat as the secondary grain here. It also briefly got caught up in some hype where it underwent multiple comparisons to rejected Pappy or poor mans Pappy. This was mostly due to sharing a distillery at one point. Similarly, I was once in a bar with Jon Hamm – regrettably this doesn’t mean I act like Jon Hamm. Let’s ignore all the hype here and focus on what matter.

Retailing for only $15 a few years ago, Weller Special Reserve has climbed up to a healthy $22 a bottle. This 50% increase in price doesn’t quite put Weller out of reach, but it continues to stretch the value proposition. Weller is a simple, well crafted, wheated bourbon. It starts with pleasant notes of cereal, vanilla, oak, and brown sugar on the nose. The palate is smooth with a hint of an edge, but relaxes into some vanilla, spice, and baked goods. The finish has bits of spice and caramel. Weller is very pleasant.

If you add some water – it doesn’t fall apart. The vanilla gets stronger and a hint of nuttiness comes out. The vanilla keeps coming through the palate and it’s a little more sugary on the ending.

It’s a thoroughly nice bourbon. Unsurprisingly – I enjoy Maker’s Mark as well as Weller. Those who enjoy a healthy touch of rye may leave disappointed – and might be better served by Elijah Craig Small Batch.

In Cocktails

Obviously, feel free to use this in whatever you like – but I’ve found that Weller Special Reserve works well in Manhattans. The sweeter notes play well with the vermouth, and the bitters help to replace some of the missing rye notes without overpowering the drink.

Perhaps from the dilution – it doesn’t quite hold it’s own as well in an old fashioned as a regular bourbon like Elijah Craig Small Batch.

The Final Word – Weller Special Reserve

Weller Special Reserve is a nice sipper, and something you won’t be loathe to use in a cocktail. Is it the most versatile bourbon in history? No, but it doesn’t have to be. Weller Special Reserve is a solid budget addition to a whiskey collection for sipping. Keep your expectations in check and there’s a lot to like here.

Others Share Their Thoughts on Weller Special Reserve:

Cocktails to feature W.L. Weller Special Reserve

Raw Notes

Nick: A beautiful amber hue. A wonderful cereal note wafts up with a hint of spice and vanilla. Touches of raisin and baked goods join in. There’s a mild burn as it starts – but it relaxes and gives way to vanilla, oak, and spices – like allspice and clove mixed and muddle. The ending has hints of black pepper, caramel, and coffee. Adding water – the nose softens – moving heavily into vanilla syrup and hints of spice. The edges of raisins soften – and have a hint of almond. The body is still warm – but caramel and vanilla dominate with loads of oak and spice. There is more sweetness – and it’s well rounded. On the finish it becomes more nutty – and opens into elements of cookie and sugar.

Ann Marie: The nose is full of sweet, dark brown sugar with hints of cinnamon and oak. A hint of orange and vanilla extract. Undiluted: Oak on the palate with vanilla and baked goods and spice. When the water is added – a vanilla biscuit comes forward and almonds and brown sugar hold strong. The palate has more spice come forward – rich and thick – mouth coating. It lingers with hints of dark molasses