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.

Uncut and unfiltered, this hand-bottled bourbon is barrel proof. Weller substitutes wheat for the traditional rye grain, a production method pioneered by W.L. Weller. Fragrant scents of caramel corn, new leather, plums, light toffee and pipe tobacco. The palate tastes of marshmallow, salted almonds, nougat, figs and dates. This whiskey finishes smooth, composed and flavorfully sweet.

Note: The actual year might differ from the bottle shown in the picture. If you want to request a specific year, please contact us.

One of the last years that Pappy Van Winkle 23 was bottled using Stitzel-Weller juice before Buffalo Trace began using its own barrels for producing Pappy Van Winkle.

One of the last years that Pappy Van Winkle 23 was bottled using Stitzel-Weller juice before Buffalo Trace began using its own barrels for producing Pappy Van Winkle.

A fantastic old bottling of Weller's Antique Reserve, aged 10 years and bottled at a barrel proof of 110. Distilled and then bottled at the legendary Stizel-Weller distillery, and given the age statement, likely from stock produced by Julian Van Winkle I before his death in the mid-1960's.  The fill level shown is fairly standard for these bottlings and as we have a few available some might have a slightly better fill than what is shown.   Old bottles can unfortunately have some leakage due to old corks and seals.   We will do our best to prevent any leaking in transit however minor leaks can happen.  

Iconic original Stitzel Weller mashbill of the Pappy Van Winkle 20.  This bottle is truly a unicorn as it was barreled in 1991 just as Van Winkle was on its rise.   No other bourbon today can stand 20 years of aging, but this bourbon does it with style. Pappy Van Winkle was a true character. This bourbon, like Pappy, is full of the character that makes it a very special whiskey

This Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is made with Emmer wheat, an ancient Egyptian grain rarely seen in modern stills. The limited release is named after William Larue Weller's grandfather, the first member of the Weller family to distill in Kentucky.   This is an extremely limited and highly allocated release from Buffalo Trace

This is a wonderful expression distilled at the famous Stitzel Weller distillery, at a time when higher proof whiskey was not popular, in fact most of the highest proof whiskey being released was either 100pf or 101pf. This was a release that came in at 107pf and some bottles came with a hang tag note that says "this is what distillers drink" because with the slightly higher proof you can generally get more flavorful and thick whiskey. Stitzel Weller brought the wheated bourbon recipe into the spotlight and now wheated bourbons are some of the most sought after style of whiskey being produced, however none are able to replicate the intricate flavors from Stitzel Weller.

One of the last years that Pappy Van Winkle 23 was bottled using Stitzel-Weller juice before Buffalo Trace began using its own barrels for producing Pappy Van Winkle.

An all-star collection of Buffalo Trace's best Weller expressions. The bundle contains all 750ml bottles:

• Weller Single Barrel
• Weller CYPB Weller
• Full Proof Weller 
• 12 year Old Weller Antique
• Weller Special Reserve

Includes one bottle of each:

• Weller Special Reserve 750ml 
• Old Weller Antique 750ml

Iconic original Stitzel Weller mashbill of the Pappy Van Winkle 20.  This bottle is truly a unicorn as it was barreled in 1989 just as Van Winkle was on its rise.   No other bourbon today can stand 20 years of aging, but this bourbon does it with style. Pappy Van Winkle was a true character. This bourbon, like Pappy, is full of the character that makes it a very special whiskey