A couple of Wellers

W. L Weller Special Reserve 7yo 45%

Buffalo Trace bottles their wheated burbons under the Weller brand

As expected from a wheated bourbon this lacks the rye spicyness. What you get instead is a soft laid back bourbon

The nose is nothing spectacular, I mainly get the feeling of nosing a dusty solvent if that makes any sense. The palate is both soft from the burbon and has a little punch fr a slight alcoholic burn. The bourbon is slightly fruity, with a touch of blackberries. It has a little solvent burn on the finish

A really nice bourbon which easily beats a direct competitor like Maker's Mark, both on price and quality. It's probably made for both mixing and sipping neat, and I reckon it will do both jobs well

Rating 83/100

Old Weller Antique Original 107 Brand Single Barrel fr The Party Source 53.5%

It's quite normal that varius whiskyshops bottles single barrel of a common brand then just put a small sticker on the bottle to distuinguish it from the normal bottling line. This is probably done to avoid constant label approvals. The whiskey in the bottle is "restricted" to follow the label of the original age and ABV wise, the main difference is the ability of the bottler (shop) to select a good honey barrel for their own shops special bottling

This OWA 107 is a private barrel selected by a big supermarket style shop The Party Source, just over the water in Cincinati on the Kentucky side of the Ohio river. The Party Source has a selection of both bourbon and single malt, and also beer, wine and any other kind of spirit imaginable that makes it worth a considerable detour  for any whiskyfan. They have several private barrels and casks available. 

This is probably around the same age as the Special Reserve, so how will a special selected barrel, bottled at a higher strength do ?

The nose is fruitier and softer, smells a lot more of whiskey and I enjoy nosing this a lot more. The style is very similar, with the berry note more expressed. In general wheaters are sweeter, softer, more vanillaed and less woody than bourbons with a rye recipe in my opinion.

The palate is, despite the higher ABV, a lot more smooth and doesn't give you an alcohol burn. It sweet, and again I get the dusty feeling. The blackberry notes are more dominant. This is a very delicious bourbon. It's unbelievably you can something like this for just a few dollars above twenty

Rating 90/100 

More of the Weller heritage

I've allready been through 15yo and 20yo Pappy van Winkle, which was made at Stitzel-Weller distillery with the old Weller wheated bourbon mash bill. I am not 100% sure the 15yo Pappy reviewed is of Stitzel-Weller heritage, but it could very well be, by the time and where I bought it.

Here is a few more of the Weller heritage whiskeys.

Buffalo Trace acquired the Weller brand name and is now producing bourbon after the Weller recipe. The fact that the van Winkles are now tightly associated with Buffalo Trace is making the heritage obvious, at least from the hands-on side. Julian P. "Pappy" van Winkle opened the Stitzel-Weller distillery in 1935. His grandson Julian III van Winkle and great-grandson Preston van Winkle is now in charge of the "Old Rip van Winkle Distillery" (which was a distillery - back in history, but today it's "just" a company name, following a confusing american tradition of naming companies "distillery" that isn't distilleries)

Here's three whiskeys of the Weller heritage:

1. W.L. Weller Aged 12years 45%
This a soft, sweet and delicate bourbon, where my first impression on the nose was oranges!. Not uncommon for me to find this in bourbons. This is almost like drinking caramelfudge sweets with a wooden alcoholic twist. Very nice and this is a very affordable dram, I even found some cheap bottles in Denmark at 289,- which is around 30£. One for the sweet tooth

Rating 86

2. William Larue Weller 66.75%
Part of the 2011 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC)

Special bottling of the same whiskey as the 12yo I reckon. This is not for the faint hearted. The ABV and intensity is breathtaking. Don't tell anyone, but I actually had to add some water to this. It was not to open up the whiskey, it was to make the alcohol burn go away and making me able to drink it. I didn't learn to drink casks strength single malts overnight, and I need to practise on full strength bourbons as well. I need to practise! I really do. It's just practising. It really is.....
With the ABV a little down I am now able to taste this fabulous dram. Out comes the nutty flavours. Caramel with a hint of fruit and brandy, finishing of with licorise tree. The balance between the taste components in this whiskey is simply spectacular good as soon as I got the ABV down. Caramel, fudge, no floor varnish really, nuts, mints, all very well mixed together.

rating 90

3. Jefferson Presidential Select 18yo 47%
Batch No 27

Jefferson is the brand name of a range of bottlings from the company McLain and Kyne. As they source their whiskies from different distilleries, this is what I would call an independent bottler.

This 18yo is labeled as originating from Stitzel-Weller so there you go.

The nose is a give away as it's more similar to PvW 20yo than any other bourbon I have tried. The wood is laid back and relaxed compared to bourbons in general and I pick up a nutty flavour as well. Loads of caramel-fudge-floor varnish infused together in a delicious cocktail of flavours, with a little hint of wood spices I normally associate with well aged scotch. The finish is long and delivers the mentioned flavours again and again

Rating 90


Comment: As a relative new bourbon drinker I just love how continued drinking learns me to discover new layers of this wonderful dram. No doubt the Weller experiences has educated me and my palate. The more you drink the more wise you get

Bourbons from the past

Bourbon's

Very confusing for us entusiast that entered the whisky world via single malts. Opposed to malt whisky bourbon whiskey is recipe based as well as distillery based.
Chuck Cowdery made a very good guest blog on John Hansell's website about the american definitions of whiskey of which I will quote

For a product to be labeled “bourbon whiskey” it has to meet tighter requirements. The mash must be at least 51% corn, the distillation proof has to be less than 160° proof (80% ABV), the barrel entry proof has to be less than 125° proof (62.5% ABV), and the oak containers have to be new and charred, but there is still no minimum age specified.

and

That brings us to “straight bourbon whiskey,” which has to comply with all of the above plus spend at least two years in wood. Why the word “straight” was chosen to mean “aged in wood for at least two years” I cannot explain.

The majority of distilleries making bourbon on a large scale is located in Kentucky. The fact that bourbon is recipe and brand based sometimes has the effect that it's not obvious where a particular bourbon is produced, I guess that some bourbons might even be vattings from several distilleries? (Jim Beam's are!). Some distillery based brands do exist thou, I can mention Four Roses, Buffalo Trace, Jack Daniels, Woodford Reserve, Makers Mark, Wild Turkey. Some brands aren't obviously connected to a distillery, I can mention Sazerac, George T Stagg, Pappy van Winkle, and some brands have changed distillery of origin, some even more than once.

Everybody acquainted with scottish single malts know Diageo and their series : Classic malts of Scotland

When Diageo were still United Distillers they were also (trying to) operate in USA. They acquired a range of distilleries and companies, mainly Schenley which had George T Stagg (distillery) and Bernheim amongst others. United Distillers also acquainted Stitzel-Weller, Glenmore and others.

They kept some brand names, and sold of others (Sazerac to name one), after a few years they closed all their distilleries and continued with the new Bernheim only, which were eventually sold to Heaven Hill, which ended Diageo's adventure as distiller in Kentucky. But not as a company selling bourbon. They kept some brand names and do now source their casks from other companies

In the 90's they releases their bourbon pendant to the classic malts, The Bourbon Heritage Collection

This miniature set is a gift from S´tan, thanks a lot

Writing about bourbons is harder than writing about single malts for me. I am not a very experienced bourbon drinker. It's mainly about toffee and wood for me. But I have to say I enjoyed these drams, 

1. George Dickel, Special Barrel Reserve 10yo 43%

Tennessee Bourbon ?

George Dickel uses Tennessee Whiskey is label, but I guess they could label their whiskey bourbon if they wanted to..they just don't. 

Loads of sweet toffee, the wood impact is gentle. Easy drinkable. Toffee is the dominating flavour. The spirit is gentle and this is the most smooth, toffee custard caramel american whiskey I ever had. Yum Yum

Rating 84

2. Very Special Old Fitzgerald 12yo 45%

Stitzel-Weller ?

Woody like an old scotch, very drinkable, slight toffee in the finish where the wood gentles. Wood is the dominating flavour, with strong toffee. Juice

Rating 84

3. Centennial W.L. Weller 10yo 50%

Stitzel-Weller

Nose is a bit solvent like. Dominating flavour is floor coatings. But still a lot of toffee. Is this the higher ABV coming through ?

Rating 80

The WL Weller and Old Fitzgerald should be bourbons with wheat as secondary grains, now on to a couple with rye as secondary grain

4 I. W. Harper 15yo 40%

DSP-1, whatever that is

Aaaah, what a wonderful nose. This have some rye in the recipe and the result is a more spicy bourbon. Bourbons with a rye component becomes me very well. Rye is to bourbons what peat is to scotch, wise men have said. The nose is rye-spicy, and the spicyness follows over on the palate. This is like a very very good old grain. Where do you get stuff like this today S'tan ?..and did I say the nose was terrific ?

Rating 90

5. Old Charter Proprietor's Reserve 13yo 45%

Old Charter Distillery

The rye in this is slightly less dominent and it doesn't come through as delicate as in the I W Harper. The wood is more dominant and I also get some dark liqourice

Rating 84

All 5 of this had the similarity that I felt I was drinking juice and not hard liquor. They were just so sipping friendly. I really liked them. Rye versus wheat is spice versus toffee for me. I like them both, but to me rye is the new black. I must be a peathead :-)

As I understand it on S'tan, the 4 Kentucky Bourbons were all made in  distilleries that doesn't exist any more. George Dickel is still running

And these bottlings where around 30$ for full sizes...