BACKGROUND: William Larue Weller was one of the early whiskey pioneers in Kentucky and is often credited as the first to use a “wheated” bourbon recipe, which replaces rye with wheat in the mashbill. The result is a sweeter and less spicy bourbon. In addition to the Weller 12-Year, the other wheated bourbons within the line are Special Reserve, Antique 107, Full Proof, C.Y.P.B. (Create Your Perfect Bourbon), and William Larue Weller, which is an unfiltered, barrel proof offering in the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The line also included two discontinued varieties - the 90 proof W.L. Weller 19 Year that ended in 2002 and the 100 proof W.L. Weller Centennial, which was aged for 10 years and ceased production in 2009. Though all of the Weller products are highly allocated and often the subject of predatory markups by retailers, the 12 Year is particularly difficult to find because it shares the same mash bill as the highly-desired Pappy Van Winkle line and is aged the same amount of time as the Van Winkle Lot B and almost as long as the Pappy 15 Year. The Van Winkle barrels, however, are aged in the “sweet spot” of the warehouse. NOSE: The nose presents a delightful marriage of citrus notes and the rickhouse small of oak, age, and undisturbed dust. Though a bit ethanol heavy, it likely ranks in my personal Top Ten of bourbon noses. PALATE: As you would expect from a bourbon aged twelve year, oak is the dominant flavor on the palate. An abundance of fruit sweetness followed and even a bit of nuttiness that brings candied pecans to mind. FINISH: The finish is a long one, but also very drying, which is common for bourbons this well-aged. And when I say it is drying, I mean it seems to absorb every bit of moisture in your mouth. The sweetness that was present on the palate develops into a burst of spice that lingers on the finish. FINAL ASSESSMENT: Weller 12 Year is an extremely balanced bourbon that transforms from sweet to spicy as it travels from the front of the palate to the back of the throat. It is almost as if the nose, flavor, and finish combine to tell the bourbon’s story without the need for words. Retailing for roughly $25.00 for a 750 ml bottle, it is one of the best bargains in the bourbon world, which adds to its extreme scarcity.