Type Bourbon whiskey Introduced 1849 Proof (US) 90 and 107 | Manufacturer Sazerac Company Alcohol by volume 45.00% & 53.50% | |
Country of origin Kentucky, United States | ||
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. 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.
Contents
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.
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
Old Weller Antique 107 was awarded a Gold Medal at the 2016 New York World Wine & Spirits Competition.
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). The 2015 release of William Larue Weller was awarded a Silver Outstanding medal from the 2016 International Wine & Spirits Competition (UK).