Give up on finding a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle. Hunt for this bourbon instead.
Bourbon fans know and love Weller, a label produced by Sazerac’s Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort that also is home now to the coveted and ultra pricey Pappy Van Winkle line.
In fact, the wheated whiskeys start with the same recipe; one just winds up costing a lot more in the bottle. Insiders know that you’ll never find Pappy in the wild, but you might find Weller.
Now there’s another Weller to look for: Buffalo Trace announced that it will release Weller Single Barrel annually, starting this summer.
“Many of our Weller fans have been asking for a single barrel bourbon for quite a while, and we’ve planned for this addition for a number of years, so we’re excited to be able to make this happen,” said Joshua Steely, marketing manager, bourbon, in a news release.
“Our rye bourbon mash bill has a variety of options, like Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Stagg Jr. George T. Stagg and E.H. Taylor, Jr. bourbons, so it’s nice to be able to offer some variety in our wheated bourbon mash bill as well,” he said.
According to the tasting notes, the single barrel, which will be bottled at 97 proof, has “a nose of cherry and mint, fading to vanilla,” with caramel, baking spices and cocoa on the palate and a finish of cinnamon, coffee, and a hint of pepper.
Buffalo Trace’s Weller collection also includes Weller Special Reserve, Weller Antique 107, Weller 12 years old, Weller Full Proof, Weller Craft Your Perfect Bourbon, and William Larue Weller, which is part of the Antique Collection, released each fall.
The new release will hit shelves in June in limited quantities with a suggested price of about $50.
This story was originally published May 20, 2020 at 1:27 PM.
