William Larue Weller 2014

Born in 1825, William L Weller was a distilling pioneer and credited for being the first distiller to use wheat (grain) in the mashbill instead of rye. He is also remembered for his strong belief in the aging of whiskey- to this day no Weller bourbon is younger than seven years of age. 

Only 39 hand-picked barrels were selected for the 2014 release of William Laure Weller. It is the only wheated bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique collection. 

I try to hold BTAC bottles for special occasions and as many of you know, my wife and I have been training for the Baltimore Half Marathon since February. Oct 18th was race day and we completed the half and had a great time. We celebrating this accomplishment by opening this great bourbon. 

Details:
140.2 proof
12 years and 3 months old
Buffalo Trace wheated mashbill

Color: Mahogany 

Nose: Burnt sugars, sweet vanilla, black cherry, plums, dark chocolate, molasses, toffee, pipe tobacco.

Taste: The heat is the first thing you notice and at 140 proof, it's got an extremely chewy mouthfeel. Red hots up front followed by vanilla, toffee, dark fruits and molasses on the mid palate. Toasted oak and aged leather on the back end.

Finish: Long, rich and hot. It seems to linger forever as sweet, spicy candy with notes of tobacco and oak.

Conclusion: Yes it's hot, but it's delicious!  I have two rules in life: never pay a cover fee to get into a bar and always drink your whiskey neat. Today I have found an exception to my second rule. At 140 proof, the alcohol detracts from the taste, so adding a few drops of filtered water per ounce is a must. All in all, a great whiskey; the nose is robust, the mouthfeel is thick, and the finish will stay with you forever.

My Rating: A+ (Great) 

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