William Larue Weller

The highest-proof William Larue Weller ever bottled is the 2014 release at 140.2 proof — a record that has stood since release and was not broken by any subsequent vintage through the 2025 release. Other historically high proofs include 2013 (136.2), 2016 (135.4), 2009 (134.8), and 2015 (134.6). The lowest is the 2007 release at 117.9 proof. Because William Larue Weller is bottled uncut at barrel strength, every annual release lands at its own natural proof. The historical range across all 2005-present releases is 117.9 to 140.2 proof, with most vintages falling between 125 and 135.

It arrives once a year as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, typically in the fall between October and November. Allocations are very limited, so timing and quantities vary from release to release.

No. Both are wheated bourbons tied to the Weller and Stitzel-Weller legacy, but they are separate releases. William Larue Weller is bottled uncut at barrel proof within the Antique Collection, while Pappy Van Winkle is bottled at a lower, consistent proof under the Van Winkle line.

Verify an authentic William Larue Weller bottle in three checks. First, examine the bottle code etched into the glass on the back or shoulder — authentic bottles carry a laser-etched code that is slightly raised and tactile, never inkjet-printed. An inkjet-printed code is the single most reliable counterfeit tell. Second, confirm the proof and age statement on the front label match the verified Buffalo Trace Antique Collection release history for that vintage — for example, a bottle labeled "2014" must read 140.2 proof and 12 years, 3 months; a bottle labeled "2017" must read 128.2 proof. A mismatch between the label vintage and the documented year's specs indicates a counterfeit or relabeled bottle. Third, for the 2022 release and every William Larue Weller release after, use a smartphone NFC scanner to read the embedded NFC tag under the foil seal — an authentic, unopened bottle will return "Factory Sealed," while a tampered, refilled, or opened bottle will return "Opened" or fail authentication entirely.

William Larue Weller is the only wheated bourbon in Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection (BTAC) — a once-a-year limited release of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. It is bottled uncut and unfiltered at barrel proof, aged approximately 10–15 years depending on the vintage, and named for William Larue Weller (1825–1899), the 19th-century distiller widely credited with pioneering the wheated bourbon mash bill that replaces rye with wheat as the secondary grain.

William Larue Weller is typically aged around 12 years, with annual variation between 10 and 15 years depending on the vintage and the barrels selected for that year's release. Buffalo Trace selects barrels at peak maturity rather than holding to a fixed age statement.

William Larue Weller is distilled, aged, and bottled at Buffalo Trace Distillery (DSP-KY-113) in Frankfort, Kentucky. Buffalo Trace is part of the Sazerac Company and uses a wheated bourbon recipe that replaces the secondary rye grain with wheat — for the entire W.L. Weller bourbon family, including William Larue Weller, Weller 12 Year, Weller Antique 107, Weller Special Reserve, and Weller Full Proof.

Yes. William Larue Weller is a wheated bourbon, which means its mash bill uses wheat as the secondary grain instead of the more common rye. The full mash bill is roughly 70% corn, 16% wheat, and 14% malted barley — the same mash bill used across the entire W.L. Weller bourbon family at Buffalo Trace. The wheat softens the spirit's character compared to a rye-mashed bourbon, producing the rounded, sweet profile associated with the broader wheated bourbon category that also includes Pappy Van Winkle, Old Rip Van Winkle, and the standard Weller lineup.

William Larue Weller is rare and expensive for three reasons. First, it is released only once a year as part of Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection, with allocations sized to a tiny fraction of national demand. Second, it is aged 10–15 years at peak maturity, which limits Buffalo Trace's ability to scale supply against demand. Third, the wheated bourbon category — anchored by William Larue Weller and Pappy Van Winkle — is the most collector-driven segment of American whiskey, which compresses available supply at every level of distribution. The combined effect is that William Larue Weller is one of the most-sought wheated bourbons released each year, with secondary market prices typically running several multiples above the original suggested retail.

Yes. William Larue Weller is the only wheated bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) — an annual five-bottle limited release that also includes George T. Stagg, Eagle Rare 17 Year, Sazerac 18 Year Rye, and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye. The collection has been released annually since 2000, with William Larue Weller joining in 2005 (replacing the original W.L. Weller 19-Year-Old) as the BTAC's wheated bourbon expression.

William Larue Weller and W.L. Weller 12 Year share Buffalo Trace's wheated bourbon recipe but are different in three significant ways. Proof: William Larue Weller is bottled uncut at barrel proof, typically 125–135, while Weller 12 Year is cut to a consistent 90 proof. Age: William Larue Weller is aged 10–15 years at barrel selection, while Weller 12 Year carries a 12-year age statement. Allocation: William Larue Weller is a once-a-year BTAC release in tightly controlled quantities, while Weller 12 Year is part of the standard W.L. Weller lineup with broader distribution. The same underlying wheated bourbon character runs through both, but William Larue Weller is the barrel-proof, limited-allocation expression.

William Larue Weller has a signature wheated bourbon profile amplified by barrel-proof intensity. Common tasting notes across vintages include caramel, toasted oak, dark fruits (cherry, fig, dried apricot), and a dense, chewy mouthfeel. Wheated bourbons skew sweeter and rounder than rye-mashed bourbons, and William Larue Weller in particular is known for a long finish with vanilla, leather, and baking spice. Specific notes vary year to year because each annual release is bottled uncut from a unique barrel selection, but the core character — rich, sweet, oak-forward, barrel-strength — is consistent across releases.