Meeting #31 - Weller Night - Sept '26

We wouldn't be a real bourbon club without blind tasting some Weller. Weller is one of the prized lineups from the Buffalo Trace Distillery. While there are more members of the Weller family, we lined up the 12 Year, Antique 107, and Full Proof. With all three built around Weller's famous wheated bourbon recipe, this was a fun opportunity to see just how much difference proof and aging can make. Looking closer at these bourbons...

#1 Weller 12 Year

90.4 proof | 12 years | ~$40-50 MSRP, usually $100 ish

Mashbill: 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley

HF score: 3.6

Weller 12 Year is probably the bottle most people associate with the Weller name, and for good reason. The 12-year expression is an approachable, soft, and enjoyable sip. Nothing overly complex, but man do I enjoy it. I think the simplicity and balance is what I appreciate. I don't really want it to be anything else.

The extra time in the barrel gives Weller 12 a noticeably mature profile, with plenty of oak layered over the sweeter characteristics you'd expect from a wheated bourbon. Vanilla, caramel, dark fruit, and baking spice all make an appearance, with the relatively low proof keeping things easy-drinking. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find (and not sold in PA), and is often 2-3x the MRSP.

Nose: Sweet vanilla, pear, caramel, oak, and dark fruit.

Palate: Smooth and sweet, with vanilla, caramel, cherry, oak, and baking spice.

Finish: Medium length with lingering oak, vanilla, and a touch of spice.

#2 Weller Antique 107

107 proof | No age statement | ~$50 MSRP

Mashbill: 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley

HF score: 3.16

Weller Antique 107 takes the familiar Weller wheat profile and turns the volume up. At 107 proof, this is a significantly bigger bourbon than the 12-Year, with more intensity, depth, and spice while still retaining some of that wheat character that makes Weller popular.

Nose: Dark caramel, vanilla, cherry pie filling, and spices

Palate: Oily mouth feel. Richer and more concentrated than the 12 Year, with dark fruit, caramel, vanilla, oak, and peppery spice. Flavorful and warm.

Finish: Long and warming, with oak, spice, and lingering sweetness.

#3 Weller Full Proof

114 proof | No Age Statement | ~$50 MSRP

Mashbill: 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley

HF score: 3.45

The final pour of the night was Weller Full Proof, the biggest and boldest bourbon of the three. At 114 proof, Full Proof brings considerably more heat and intensity than the Weller 12 Year, while maintaining that weller DNA. There's plenty of sweetness here, but it's backed up by substantial oak, dark fruit, vanilla, caramel, and baking spice. The higher proof gives it significantly more weight on the palate and a longer, more powerful finish. This was my favorite of the evening, maybe just a notch about the 12 year, but it is a different experience.

Nose: Dark fruit, caramel, vanilla, oak, and a touch of ethanol. Less oak than the 12 year, maybe not aged as long?

Palate: Full-bodied with pear, caramel, vanilla, oak, baking spice, and pepper.

Finish: Long and warming, but not as much as the proof might suggest. Lingering oak, spice, and sweetness.

A Weller Comparison

This was a fun tasting simply because all three bottles share the same basic foundation. Rather than comparing three completely different bourbon profiles, we were able to see how aging and proof change the character of the same wheated bourbon recipe.

Weller 12 Year brought the mature, oak-forward profile and easy-drinking proof.

For an extra 4th pour, some of us tried the "Poor Man's Pappy" where you mix Antique 107 and 12 year. I did a 60/40 ratio, but you can titrate to your liking. This mix gave me the oily mouth feel and spice of 107, but with the soft/sweet side of the 12 year. This mix was easily a 4.0 in its own right. Fun little experiment, if you can get your hands on a bottle of each!