126.6 proof. Uncut. Unfiltered. The 2015 annual release of William Larue Weller the cask-strength, unfiltered BTAC expression of Buffalo Trace’s wheated bourbon mashbill. Between 10 and 14 years old, selected by the master distiller for the year’s release.

William Larue Weller is the most powerful expression in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection the full-proof, uncut, unfiltered wheated bourbon. Where the W.L. Weller lineup (Special Reserve, Antique 107, 12 Year) uses the same wheated recipe at measured proofs, William Larue Weller delivers that same mashbill at natural barrel strength without dilution or filtration. At 126.6 proof, this is the rawest and most intense expression of the Weller wheated family.

The wheated bourbon recipe using wheat rather than rye as the secondary grain connects William Larue Weller directly to Pappy Van Winkle. W.L. Weller introduced this wheat-substituted recipe in 1849. Buffalo Trace acquired the W.L. Weller label in 1999 and has produced the Van Winkle bourbons using the same wheated recipe since 2002. William Larue Weller at cask strength is the most concentrated possible expression of this foundational American bourbon heritage.

Tasting Notes

• Appearance: Very deep amber with the extraordinary concentration of barrel-strength wheated bourbon.
• Nose: The wheated mashbill’s characteristic caramel and vanilla amplified to full intensity at 126.6 proof rich, sweet, and complex.
• Palate: Powerful and full the proof delivers maximum extraction from the wheat grain character. Caramel, toffee, and warm spice in a cask-strength wheated profile unique in American bourbon.
• Finish: Extraordinary long, evolving, and deeply warming.

Specs

• Distillery: Buffalo Trace, Frankfort, Kentucky
• Style: Wheated Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Age: 1014 years
• Proof: 126.6 (63.3% ABV)
• Bottling: Uncut, unfiltered
• Release: 2015 BTAC Annual Release
• Size: 750ml

Explore the full William Larue Weller collection or browse all bourbon at Wooden Cork.

Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the connection between William Larue Weller and Pappy Van Winkle? Both use the same wheated bourbon mashbill introduced by W.L. Weller in 1849. Buffalo Trace produces both the Weller lineup and the Van Winkle bourbons using this recipe. William Larue Weller at cask strength is the most concentrated expression of the same foundational recipe behind Pappy Van Winkle.
• Why does the proof vary between WLW vintages? Each annual WLW release uses barrels selected for that year’s BTAC. The natural proof of those specific barrels at bottling determines the proof of that vintage. The 2015 at 126.6 reflects the specific barrels selected for that year.
• How does WLW compare to other BTAC expressions? WLW is the wheated bourbon in the BTAC fundamentally different from the rye-influenced George T. Stagg and the two Sazerac rye expressions. It is the only BTAC expression using the Pappy Van Winkle wheat recipe at full cask strength.
• Is the 2015 WLW still available? In limited quantities. This is now a decade-old BTAC vintage significantly rarer than more recent releases.

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