Style: Blend of wheated bourbon and wheat whiskey
Age: Blend of 24, 21, 19, and 18-year-old whiskeys
Proof: 99 (49.5% ABV)
Region: Frankfort, Kentucky

Few names in the bourbon world have the power to send enthusiasts into a frenzy like the name W.L. Weller. Spend any time in the whiskey corner of Instagram and you’re bound to see people showing off their newly-acquired bottles of Weller Full Proof or Weller 12. Or you may find an account of someone bragging about waking up at 4 in the morning and standing in line to win the chance to buy a bottle in a raffle on /r/bourbon. Perhaps you’ve heard a newer bourbon convert describe Weller by parroting the now cliche line, “It’s the same juice as Pappy.” For whatever reason, the brand is a big, BIG deal to hobbyists.

Unsurprisingly, Buffalo Trace Distillery’s announcement of a new extra-premium bottle in the Weller lineup is also a big deal. The newest addition to the line, Weller Millenium, takes the brand in a new and surprising direction. For starters, it’s a blended whiskey, which means it’s not actually a bourbon at all. Weller Millenium is a blend of heavily-aged wheat whiskey (meaning wheat is the primary grain instead of corn,) and wheated bourbon (wheat is the secondary grain in the mash bill after corn.) Got all that? All of the whiskeys in this bottle were distilled between 18 and 24 years ago, making this one of the oldest whiskeys released in the history of the Weller brand. Let’s see whether or not this unique whiskey lives up to the hype.

Tasting notes

Weller Millenium presents a bouquet of sweet oak and rich fruit — notes of caramel, vanilla, cherry, and red apple are all in the forefront while a subtle whiff of cinnamon and nutmeg round out the aroma. On the palate, there are almost none of the drying tannic notes that usually signify a whiskey in this age range. It’s sweet and round with notes of dried cranberry, butterscotch, a hint of pink bubblegum, and a gentle pop of baking spice. The spice guides the the whiskey into a gentle, yet lingering finish of vanilla and warm cinnamon.

Final thoughts

Fans of the Weller line’s smooth, wheat-forward flavor profile will find much to love here. It’s a balanced, approachable, and pleasing sip. For its advanced age, there are absolutely none of the bitter, drying notes that denote a whiskey that has spent too much time maturing. It’s not the most complex or surprising whiskey, but in this case, I doubt “complexity” was the goal. Weller is beloved among aficionados for its smoothness — if they wanted a more aggressive pour, they’d be drinking something else. What Weller Millenium offers is an elevated version of the classic Weller profile. It’s more of what people want and expect and presents as a very satisfying sip. Is it satisfying enough to justify the suggested $7,500 retail price? I’ll leave that up to you, but I can give assurances that Weller Millenium is a very enjoyable pour.