Select Weller

W.L. Weller Special Reserve is the green-label introduction to Buffalo Trace Distillery's wheated Weller family — a Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 90 proof, and quite possibly the most famous "starter bottle" in all of allocated whiskey.

Here's the open secret that built the legend: Weller is widely understood to share Buffalo Trace's wheated mash bill with the Van Winkle line. Buffalo Trace never publishes its recipes, but ask anyone who's spent a Saturday bottle-hunting — what you're holding is the same wheated DNA that goes into Pappy, just younger and considerably easier to actually pour. The name predates all of it: William Larue Weller was selling whiskey in Louisville by 1849, and the label has carried the claim of "the original wheated bourbon" for generations — lore it wears proudly, even if no one alive can notarize it. The brand later passed through Stitzel-Weller, the distillery Pappy Van Winkle himself built, before Sazerac brought it home to Buffalo Trace in 1999. Longtime fans still remember when the label wore a 7-year age statement — it quietly came off years ago, and those age-stated dusties have become minor collectibles in their own right. Exactly the kind of trivia that wins bourbon night.

In the glass, wheat does what wheat does: it softens everything. Honey and vanilla custard up front, caramel and soft cherry underneath, and a warm, gentle finish with none of rye's pepper — the profile people fall in love with first and argue about forever.

The green label is also the one that vanishes the moment it lands — and that's where we come in. Every bottle here comes from authenticated and verified sources, is packed white-glove, and in most cases ships the same day. And for the treasure hunters: Stitzel-Weller-era Weller is exactly the kind of unicorn our vintage collection exists to chase — those bottles surface when we hunt them down.

At a glance

• Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
• Style: Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon (wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain)
• Age: No age statement (earlier bottlings carried a 7-year statement)
• Proof: 90 (45% ABV)
• Size: 750ml

Common questions

Is W.L. Weller the same as Pappy Van Winkle?
Same distillery and, by every credible account, the same wheated mash bill — but a different brand with far less barrel time. The Van Winkle bottlings are older and drawn from choicer barrels; Weller Special Reserve is the youngest, most attainable expression of that shared recipe, which is why the community nicknamed the Weller line "Poor Man's Pappy."

Why is Weller Special Reserve so hard to find at retail?
The Pappy connection turned an everyday wheater into an allocated one. Demand for anything wearing the Weller name now far outruns supply, and most stores receive only a handful of green-label bottles at a time — often spoken for before they reach a shelf.

What's the difference between Weller Special Reserve and Weller Antique 107?
Proof, mostly. Special Reserve is the softer 90-proof introduction; Antique 107 runs the same wheated recipe at a bigger, bolder 107. Longtime forum tradition holds that blending the two approximates a certain 15-year bottle — a recipe passed around like a secret handshake.

Is Weller Special Reserve a good gift?
One of the best entry points in bourbon gifting — recognizable enough to impress an enthusiast, gentle enough for a newcomer.

*Must be 21 to order.

As part of the wheated bourbon family, this twelve year old W.L. Weller is aged far longer than most wheated bourbons. This offering is a smooth, easy-going and balanced offering with a beautiful deep bronze color. Aromas of lanolin, almond, creamed corn and toasty vanilla. The mid-palate flavor is heavily wheated, layered and moderately sweet. Long, oaky, and intensely smooth finish.

Weller Full Proof Bourbon is a wheated bourbon distilled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Bottled at 114 proof, this is the same proof as when the spirit entered the barrel for maturation. The Kentucky straight bourbon is bottled without chill filtration. Baked apples and vanilla are showcased on the nose, along with fiery cinnamon. The palate offers vanilla bean, baking spices, sour cherries, and cassia bark. The finish turns to the drier and more medicinal side, with spearmint, tannic oak, leather, and milk chocolate truffles. Quite sippable despite the high proof, with a pleasantly lengthy finish.

A wheated recipe bourbon, aged on the highest warehouse floors for eight years and bottled at 95 proof. A light aroma with citrus and oak on the nose. The palate is well rounded and balanced, with a medium-long finish and hints of vanilla. It is the bourbon which best fit into what over 100,200 bourbon drinkers voted most for over two years – a wheated bourbon recipe

Expect distinct, full-bodied flavor in the celebrated tradition of Weller's wheated bourbon. Weller Single Barrel has a nose of cherry and mint, fading to vanilla. Caramel and baking spices with hints of cocoa explode on the palate, with a finish of cinnamon, coffee, and a hint of pepper.

*This is a 700ml bottling of Weller 12 Year with gold foil*

As part of the wheated bourbon family, this twelve year old W.L. Weller is aged far longer than most wheated bourbons. This offering is a smooth, easy-going and balanced offering with a beautiful deep bronze color. Aromas of lanolin, almond, creamed corn and toasty vanilla. The mid-palate flavor is heavily wheated, layered and moderately sweet. Long, oaky, and intensely smooth finish.  These gold foil versions are likely going to be a standard for domestic releases soon, however currently the gold foils are being tested in european 700ml sized releases.

W.L. Weller Special Reserve (2025 Gold Foil Edition)

The Original Wheated Bourbon – Elevated for 2025

Known as the "Original Wheated Bourbon," W.L. Weller Special Reserve replaces the traditional rye grain with wheat to create an exceptionally soft, smooth, and approachable profile. This 2025 Gold Foil Edition takes that heritage and wraps it in a stunning, limited-edition presentation.

Featuring the iconic gold foil neck wrap, a design cue historically reserved for the most prestigious "dusty" bottles produced at the old Stitzel-Weller distillery this 2025 release is as much a centerpiece for your display as it is a world-class sipper.

Why the "Gold Foil" Matters to Bourbon Collectors

• Nostalgic Heritage: The gold foil aesthetic is a direct tribute to the high-end Weller bottlings of the 1970s and 80s, bridging the gap between modern Buffalo Trace excellence and the "Old School" Weller legacy.

• Limited 2025 Allocation: Unlike the standard Special Reserve, the Gold Foil release is produced in significantly lower quantities, making it a high-velocity target for "Weller Completionists."

• The Buffalo Trace Pedigree: Distilled at the world's most awarded distillery (DSP-KY-113) using the same wheated mash bill as Pappy Van Winkle, this bottle offers a 90-proof masterclass in balance and sweetness.

Tasting Notes: The Gold Standard Profile

• Nose: A warm, inviting bouquet of honey, butterscotch, and soft floral notes, underpinned by a hint of toasted oak.

  Palate: Remarkable creaminess on the tongue. Expect flavors of caramel apple, vanilla bean, and a delicate honeyed sweetness that only a 10-year-plus aging cycle (relative to standard batches) can provide.

• Finish: Exceptionally clean and calm. It leaves a lingering sweetness with a "burnt orange" citrus zest that defines the 2025 harvest.

Age: 2025

ABV:  45% ABV, 90 Proof

Previous, squat bottle design of the popular wheated bourbon from Buffalo Trace

As part of the wheated bourbon family, this twelve year old W.L. Weller is aged far longer than most wheated bourbons. This offering is a smooth, easy-going and balanced bourbon with a beautiful deep bronze color.