Weller Antique 107 Bourbon

This is a single barrel offering of Weller Antique that Buffalo Trace offered to Reserve 101, a whiskey bar here in Houston. Abv: 53.5% Price: $10 for a pour at Reserve 101 in Houston, Texas Setting: Neat in a tumbler. Color: Amber. Non-chill filtered. Nose: Apples, oak, vanilla, and cinnamon. Really nice. (23/25) Taste: Apples, oak, cherry, caramel, cinnamon, baking spices. Fantastic mouthfeel and great flavors. I’d never guess this was 107 proof, as it is balanced really well. (48/50) Finish: Medium-long. Cinnamon and a slight alcohol burn, with a chocolaty cocoa flavor that appears on the finish. The weakest part of this whiskey, but still good. I know a lot of posters on here have noticed a bitterness or astringency on the finish, but this particular selection didn’t have it at all. (19/25) Conclusion: This is a fantastic bourbon, and is almost as good as Old Rip Van Winkle. It’s sweet, but in a delicious way, and it’s surprisingly well-balanced for the ABV. I could drink this all day, and strongly recommend it. I'm curious to see how this compares to the normal Antique 107. 90/100

Another of the bonus samples from this round of the SDT. This time it’s a Kentucky Straight Bourbon. I do so few bourbons as my true passion is with single malts, but I can appreciate a quality bourbon. Let’s see how this one from W.L. Weller fares. Antique 107 is a wheated bourbon, which of course means the secondary grain is wheat instead of rye. Bottled at a respectable 53.5% ABV and as all KSB’s are, this is natural color, a red mahogany, and most likely non chill filtered. Strong oak and varnish on the nose, with cinnamon and clove and sawdust. Very floral with a hint of mint. The wheat brings red fruits, berries and apple skins. Vanilla, cotton candy, pink bubblegum, brown sugar and toffee. Roasted and salted corn, a little pepper and a nice subtle tobacco note. A little water doesn’t seem to add much, but brings out more of the florals, especially honeysuckle and a honey note. Charred oak and a slightly metallic note on the palate, but it’s not a bad metallic. Corn, vanilla, apples and orange peel. Barrel char/charcoal, toffee, caramel, cinnamon and clove. Candy corn and licorice round it out. Water brings a more defined corn, but softens everything else. A medium to full bodied mouthfeel, oily, mouth coating and dry. The finish is medium long with corn, fruity and oak. This bourbon is further proof of why I prefer wheated bourbons. Softer, fruitier and not nearly as harsh as some high rye bourbons can be. This one is well made, and the $27 price tag makes it even more attractive. It won’t knock your socks off, but it is quite good and a great value. 3.75-4 and another big thanks to @Scott_E for the sample. Cheers

Vanilla notes with heavy burn and Carmel mid with cinnamon back