Remember when no one wanted bourbon? I do, though it’s getting harder and harder to remember those days. At the time, I was mostly busy focusing on Scotch but I knew the good stuff was out there if I wanted it. Today’s review is of a William Larue Weller that was bottled at the time when if you wanted this bottle, you just had a go to a store with a fairly large selection or have your local shop order it for you. It was that simple.
After a few early years of mixed reviews, the 2008 bottling of WLW was met with very positive feedback. Barreled in 1997, this release was comprised of 40 barrels that aged for just over 11 years before being bottled at a zesty 62.7% ABV. There were just over 5,000 bottles of this available.
If you’d like to read more details about how this was made, here’s the fact sheet straight from Buffalo Trace. If not, let’s get right to the tasting notes to see just what Buffalo Trace was up to 10 years ago.
| Category | Notes |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Rust |
| Nose | Cherry pie, lots of vanilla, caramel, whipped cream, toffee, almond, bakery aromas, some nutmeg, less cinnamon. |
| Taste | Caramel coated berries, dates, layers of vanilla throughout, molasses, heavy cereal, corn sweetness, also a bit peppery with oak lingering in the back. |
| Finish | That same peppery spice kicks off an earthy finish, fresh strawberries, green apple, milk chocolate, and some citrus in the form of orange peel. |
| Overall Thoughts | An incredible WLW that showcases how soft wheat influence at high strength is truly a thing of beauty. I know I have to eventually finish this pour but I can’t bring myself to do it yet because those nose on this is just astounding. Truly a Weller to remember. |
| Total Score | 95/100 |
