I got this bottling from 2017 in an auction a couple of years ago. Weller was on the internet a lot and people were paying shitloads for what was supposed to be epic bourbon. Of course, right after I got it it became far more available at lower prices, if I recall correctly, although that were slightly newer bottlings.

With ‘The Original Wheated Bourbon’ they try to keep their association with Pappy Van Winkle products alive, although those came from the old Stitzel-Weller Distillery and not the one that this is produced at. Interestingly, current Weller bottlings don’t even come from Stitzel-Weller but are produced at Buffalo Trace.

Anyway, brands tend to shift in America. More so than in Scotland, although the Famous Grouse Experience is no longer located at Glenturret and has moved elsewhere as well.

Sniff:
There is a certain dryness that is not so common in regular bourbons, so I guess that’s what the increased amount of wheat in the mash bill is doing. It’s different from rye because it’s only dryness and not a spicy heat as well. Other than that there’s puff pastry, oak and baked apple with cinnamon. Some cherries too, and a little bit of charcoal.

Sip:
The palate is rather gentle, but not without it’s black pepper. The dryness only shows after half a minute or so. Vanilla and some dried peaches are there from the get-go. There’s lot of woody notes. Oak shavings, sawdust, the wood section in a hardware store.

Swallow:
The finish initially has quite the peppery bite, but more in intensity than in flavor (again, the wheat versus rye thing). It mellows quickly but never becomes really sweet. Oak, corn flour, black pepper, a slight note of minerals.

While it certainly is not run of the mill bourbon, it’s also not as special as their reputation and the whisky’s ‘subtitle’ of ‘Special Reserve’ makes you believe. It’s nice that it is a more dry whisky instead of the often-found sweeter versions, so it’s far from bad stuff, this!

I thoroughly enjoyed going through my bottle, and I even believe I used it in a tasting at some point, although memory is starting to get a bit foggy of 20 different tastings that happened three years ago…

86/100