William Larue Weller 2020

BourbonBuffalo TraceReviewsAmerican WhiskeyWheatedBTACBTAC 2020

Dec 10

William Larue Weller 2020

This is my first time tasting a WLW, and I’ve got a few more in the sample bank to try. I’m excited as hell to taste this…WLW is legendary, one of those things that’s incredible even when it’s just ok. This was my first time ever trying a WLW (I’ve now tried every release in the Weller line except the single barrel, and a sample is staring at me across my desk). Friends and colleagues opined how this release was one of the best in recent years, and I can’t disagree.

Buffalo Trace Wheated Mashbill

67.25% ABV, 134.5 Proof

12 Years, 6 Months

Eye: Dark maple syrup. Very thin rims, droplets linger where the rims disappear.

Nose: Ooh that’s nice….great proof heat, wheated nose for sure that doesn’t need to open up. Grainy notes, but in a good way? High quality caramel popcorn. Chocolate coated stone fruits. Nose doesn’t open up more with air but it’s so good right away why would it need to?

Palate: Damn…just damn. Hot and powerful, dark chocolate and cocoa powder-dusted stone fruit. Tons of brown sugar brittle, creme brûlée topping, vanilla bean custard, every part of a creme brûlée in perfect harmony, cinnamon-scented rice pudding. The heat just keeps going and going, pushing the flavor further on every sip. Mouthfeel is mind-boggling: hot, viscous, sweet, did I mention hot? Every best wheater cranked to 11.

Finish: Long, hot, sweet, creme brûlée for days.

Overall: I see these bottles going for $1200 every day on secondary markets, and as a pretty hard and fast rule I’ve always felt that no whiskey of any kind is worth that kind of money. A GTS at $500-$600 has been the highest I would ever have gone for a whiskey before. This might be the one that finally changes my mind - it’s that good. I searched for faults as I savored this for an hour, and couldn’t find one. Quite simply one of the best things I have ever tasted. Up for my bourbon of the year, my whiskey of the year, and any other accolade for which it is eligible to compete. The battle between this and the 2020 GTS is going to be epic!

Rating: 10.0

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)