My whiskey of the week… Weller Special Reserve
By Richard S. Green
I tend to say the same thing weekly when asked, what is my favorite Whiskey? It continues to be difficult question to answer since the industry is so vast with many option and flavors to evaluate. I’m up to the task boss. I will persevere.
Another Interesting week of probably too many Whiskeys, but who is counting? I generally like to give a little insight into my psyche. Hallucinations, delusions, incoherent thought patterns, elevated mood, depressed mood, rapidly fluctuating mood, confusion, suicidal thoughts, memory changes, addictive behaviors, behaviors that just don’t make sense—these are all symptoms of psychiatric illnesses. Specific patterns of these symptoms over time help define specific syndromes. Yep too much, must pull back.
Hey how is your week going? Mine is sometimes a little nuts, but what helps smooth out the wrinkles but a good, reasonably priced bourbon? Okay before you scream that Weller should be a reasonably priced, easy to get bourbon, I feel your pain. As a resident of Virginia, I have never encountered a Weller product on the shelf. I once drove 20 miles to stand in line in Manassas, Virginia for a Weller Antique 107 and when I got there I was number 14, but they only had 12 bottles. I stood in line anyway that early morning because they also had other stuff like Blanton’s. Ultimately, I went home empty handed…
For the subject at hand, I was traveling through Ohio in the summer of 2021, which for some strange reason Ohio seems to get oodles of Weller products. I stopped a random liquor store outside of Cincinnati and there they were just sitting on the shelf, green label Weller, and for MSRP. Just my luck. We were only allowed to buy one, but I was happy to leave with it. I later found another bottle a second store- crazy Ohio.
Weller Special Reserve doesn’t necessarily have a lot of special characteristics on paper. It’s a wheated bourbon mashbill, which in itself isn’t necessarily rare, but its relation to the Buffalo Trace distillery and the Pappy Vanwinkle mash recipe, makes it sought after. Buffalo Trace is one of the largest and arguably the most well-known of the many bourbon distilleries. Its lineup includes the likes of Pappy, E.H. Taylor, Blanton’s, Eagle Rare, Elmer T. Lee, Rockhill Farms, Hancock’s Reserve, and the Weller line like W.L. Weller, Weller Full Proof and more. Weller was originally created by the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company.
Weller bourbons and the new Pappy Van Winkle whiskey come from the same formula, with the only difference being the aging process. The process was started by Weller and was perfected by the Van Winkles, and is why there are several products in the brand that bear these names still today. Special Reserve is the most “common” of the Weller bottles and is produced on an ongoing basis. Doesn’t make it easy to find in most states, however.
Markedly, William Larue Weller hired the famous Julian Van Winkle, who would later be known as “Pappy.” Van Winkle began his career working for Weller. Weller passed in 1899, and coincidentally his company, W.L. Weller & Sons, later merged with the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery which was owned by his former employee, Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle. The companies worked together through Prohibition operating under a medicinal license, and eventually became the Stitzel-Weller Distilling Company in 1935.
Weller Special Reserve is made with wheat as the main secondary grain, (after corn as all bourbon must contain at least 51% corn in the mashbill). Wheat is used rather than rye for an easier-sipping, softer smooth taste. While the exact mash bill is not disclosed, as mentioned bourbon must contain at least 51% corn to qualify as a bourbon but in this case, it is assumed that the majority of the remaining 49% of the mashbill is wheat grain given the soft palate and prominent branding as “the original wheated bourbon.”
Weller Special Reserve is aged anywhere from 4 to 7 years.
Produced by: WL Weller
Classification: Straight Bourbon
Company: Sazerac Company
Region: Kentucky, USA
Proof: 90 (45% ABV)
Age: No Age Statement
Mashbill: Undisclosed (Buffalo Trace “Wheated” Mashbill)
Color: Light Copper
Price: ~$42 (2022)
THE NOSE
Soft notes of light caramel, vanilla, and honey and maybe trace amounts of Oak. Very inviting, very sweet and soft, but not incredibly robust.
THE PALATE
Vanilla, deep caramel, honey, and light red fruit and maybe a slight spice if you were looking for it. It’s a classic wheater very sweet. It comes through the palate is a very easy 90 proofer that has a decent amount of character. Great for neat sipping.
THE FINISH
It has a small short burst of light spice (finally) with a short finish that comes across as honey, light caramel and a bit of oak.
Overall a great easy sipper for any occasion. And would be a great everyday sipper, if you could find enough to meet up to your plans. Good luck.
Very informative. Weller Reserve is one of my favorites ☺️