Weller 12 Year Bourbon

Good ole Weller 12, one of those bottles where you have to know a guy who knows a guy to find, at least in my neck of the woods. Got this bottle last year, has been opened for about 2-3 weeks, pour was neat in glencairn. Nose - really good nose, vanilla, maple syrup, definitely some smokiness to it/barrel char, candied orange, and a fair amount of oak, tobacco, little bit of cherry. Palate - lot of oak and smokiness on this particular bottle, does not drink near as sweet as the nose would suggest, get a little bit of maple syrup, and a little bit vanilla, some orange, and a little bit of nuttiness, but this is heavy oaked and smoky more than anything, mid palate is pepper and oak. Very light texture as expected for a 90 proof. Finish - short to moderate, this hung on a little bit more than anything because of such a strong oak presence, got a little bit of cherry, sweet tobacco, but again the oak and smoke continue to be the standouts. This tasting was a pour from my bottle, but I also had a pour from a friends bottle 4 weeks prior and these pours were drastically different. His bottle was 3 or 4 years old and mine being from last year. His was sweet with heavy vanilla and cherry flavors, my batch as can tell heavy oaked. The big complaint about Weller 12 usually seems to be proof and based upon this bottle I’m not sure if this was a higher proof it would be any better. I think I’d be left with a even stronger oak flavor or maybe this has been proofed down so far it zapped all the other flavors, I’m not sure. My friends bottle fantastic and do think a higher proof is what it’s missing. This one not my favorite pour, don’t mind an oak flavor if it’s balanced with other flavors, but this was pretty one tracked as far as palate and finish went. It’s a rare hard to find bottle so would I pay a little extra for it sure, but about a $100 is my cap, and this bottle would really make me question even paying that. Think there are several better options out there, but it’s a Buffalo Trace product and will probably continue to be bought at stupid secondary prices but based upon this bottle not even close to being worth what stores are charging for this.