Review #346 - Weller 12 Year Bourbon
The oldest age-stated bottle of the Weller 'core range' - this is their 12 year old bourbon, which is bottled at 45% ABV (90 proof). That's a bit lower than we might expect (or prefer), but we'll see if the nice length of maturation can make up for it. Like the other Weller bourbons, it used a wheated mashbill, but the specific proportions of the grains are undisclosed.
As with the rest of the Weller line, the suggested retail pricing for this bottle is actually very reasonable: $50 to $60, as far as we can tell. Despite that, due to limited quantities being produced and the huge hype surrounding Buffalo Trace products, these are hard to find, and the secondary pricing is much higher.
Weller 12 Year Bourbon
USA - Bourbon
Current Locally Available Price: USD 160 (2024, based on recent auction results)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 45% ABV
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times (twice blind) over 2 months from a sample. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Dusty vanilla, a decent amount of grape, and it's somewhat sweet overall. Oak is slightly subtle at first, but it grows stronger and deeper, and it brings baking spices of anise and brown sugar. Dark red sweet cherries join the grape notes, and we get hints of perfume and a little wood smoke; despite the nice scents, the intensity of nose is somewhat mild.
Palate: A medium-thin mouthfeel, and the oak is more forward on the palate - woody, barbecued oak, with a bit of savory spice. There are still brown sugar baking notes, but this is more drying than the nose, and it's somewhat subtle. The fruit aspect is much more subdued - just a hint of grape juice.
Finish: Warming, with smoky, borderline bitter oak. A little more simple than the nose and palate, but we still get sour orange fruit and hints of vanilla sweetness. It's a medium length finish.
Final Note: From the oldest in the Weller range, the experience is... alright. Nothing unpleasant about it, but the nose was easily the most interesting part, and the palate and finish were much more subdued. The lower strength really lets the mouthfeel and flavor density down; still, we enjoyed the more mature oak notes, even if they were subtle. It did have that grape-cherry fruit note that Buffalo Trace has been known to exhibit, but it was only strong in the nose.
At the MSRP pricing, the value for this bottle would be somewhat average, maybe just a hair above average; at secondary pricing of $150 to $200+, we can't say this is worth it (not even close, actually).
Our Average Rating: 6.4 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 4.52
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Buffalo Trace reviews:
Review #282 - Weller Antique 107
Review #156 - Eagle Rare 10 Year
