W. L. Weller

W. L. Weller Bourbon whiskey

750 ml bottle of W. L. Weller Bourbon
Type Bourbon whiskey
Manufacturer Sazerac Company
Country of origin Kentucky, United States
Introduced 1849
Alcohol by volume 45.00% & 53.50%
Proof (US) 90 and 107
Variants W. L. Weller Special Reserve
W. L. Weller Antique
Related products Buffalo Trace

W. L. Weller is a brand of wheated bourbon whiskey. The brand was originally owned by the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company, which was sold several times after 1972. The brand is currently owned by the Sazerac Company and produced at the Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.[1] Like all bourbons, Weller is distilled from a mash composed of at least 51% corn (maize). The secondary grain used for the Weller brand is wheat, whereas most bourbons use rye.

The bourbon was named after William Larue Weller (1825–1899), who was a bourbon whiskey distiller in the early days of Kentucky. He was supposedly the first to produce straight bourbon using wheat instead of rye in the mashbill. His wheated bourbon was first produced in 1849.[2]

Current brand expressions

There are several bourbons produced under the Weller name, all of which are wheated. The top three brands are all produced in a signature bell-shaped bottle, while the fourth variation with the title "William LaRue" is bottled in a sleek straight wine bottle. The various brands and their descriptions are:

Past expressions

Awards

W. L. Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon won the designation of "Extraordinary / Ultimate Recommendation (95-100 pts)" from the 2015 Ultimate Spirits Challenge and a Silver Outstanding medal from the 2015 International Wine & Spirits Competition (UK).

Spirits writer Jim Murray named William Larue Weller Bourbon the "Second Finest Whisky in the World" in his Jim Murray's Whisky Bible 2015 (ISBN 978-0955472992).

References

  1. "Sazerac Completes Acquisition of Weller and Charter Brands." (Press release). PRNewswire. April 28, 1999. Retrieved August 2, 2010.
  2. "William Larue Weller". Buffalo Trace Distillery. Retrieved 2015-11-24.
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