Can someone explain the popularity of Weller 12 to me?

[GregoryD]

So for reference, once upon a time years ago I was sitting at a bar in New Orleans with some friends in the cigar business and someone had a few bottles of different aged Pappy, someone else had some anniversary edition Brugal of some sort, and someone else had Johnny Blue.  I dislike Johnny Blue, wasn't a huge fan of the Brugal, but really liked the Pappy because it was different than the cask strength stuff and the ryes I had been drinking.  When I saw the prices of Pappy, I balked.  But I also read that you could mix a few different versions of Weller together to approximate the Pappy flavor.  I bought four bottles of Weller 12 at the time for $26 a piece and then never got around to buying the 107 or whatever it was.  I don't know exactly WHEN this was purchased, but I know that the bottles have changed, so I'm assuming it was before Buffalo Trace took control.

I gave one of the bottles to my brother in law as a christmas gift and cracked open another... and I've gotta say that I was never impressed.  Maybe it's because my tastes tended towards cask strength bourbon at the time (I was going through a bottle each of Stagg Jr and Booker's a month), but I just didn't find it to be special, and I'd like to know what the hell I'm missing that is supposed to make it worth the current retail price.  I had a glass yesterday for the first time in... I guess about 7 years, and I still don't get it.  I haven't consumed whiskey regularly in half a decade so maybe my palate is just off, or could it be that the new stuff being produced now is just different?

[Astar20]

Wellers are a joke

Weller 12 is nothing more than special reserve with an age statement. The folks at Buffalo trace are marketing geniuses. I'll break it down like this.

Weller 12 is van winkle lot B 12 year that the van winkle family went to pick at Buffalo trace.

Antique is just old rip again that the family went to select at Buffalo trace.

Buffalo trace is watered down Stagg Jr.


Nothing made at Buffalo trace is that good people are chasing the name. Unless you're drinking old stizel-weller juice you're better of drinking something else.

[kingcohiba]

I think it's good stuff. At the old prices! I really used to buy a lot of antique which I liked better. Have to agree with it tasti just like the van winkle. I was consistently wrong with every blind taste test I did with vw 10 and 12 comparing them to weller 12 and antique.

I'm a lucky guy. I'm as happy with some knob creek as I am with anything else. I've had lots of pappy etc back in the day and while to me it's excellent stuff, give me something in the $50 range and I'm good!

[JL Miller]

weird, people chase Weller, its meh.

They pay crazy price for the 12, I like it at $40.

[kingcohiba]

Several years ago I ordered 2 bottles of weller 12 from a place in NY and they sent me two bottles of parkers heritage (als edition) and I had never heard of it. I was pissed! Until I tried the parkers heritage I wasn't upset anymore. A dude I used to talk to a lot got me a bottle of weller 12 from the local in Chicago where he shopped for like 35$ or something. Last bottle of it I drank. Good stuff but definitely not worth the coin imo. I'd rather have antique.

That guy who got me that weller turned me on to all kinds of whiskey I'd never even heard of. So many great bottles out there that nobody is chasing.

[F15-Loader]

Never had the 12 but, I have had the SR, 107 and Full proof...and I wasnt thrilled with any of em.  SR and 107 are constantrly on rotation to be an Ohio allotment and I just dont get it. 

Now, to say that nothing BT makes is worth a damn...I do enjoy ER, EHT and BT.  The BT does tend to be a little watered down but I enjoy the profile. 

Just my .02. 

[Pole Lock]

About 10 years ago, I met a whiskey rep at a local liquor store.  One of the brands he represented was Weller.  During a candid conversation with the shop owner, he said that the Van Winkle concern was selecting more and more barrels of Weller to be bottled under the Pappy label (especially Weller 12).  The distillery was content with having less Weller 12 because they made more per barrel by selling it to the Van Winkles.  He said we could expect Weller to become harder and harder to find.  Looks like he was right.

Why is Weller popular?  Induced scarcity.  There are better wheated bourbons on the market.

[F15-Loader]

Antique and SR were the first 2 bourbons I ever bought and my wife won me the FP in a lottery a few months ago.  None of em wowed me. 

Regardless, I'd rather get something readily available even if I have to pay a little more.  New Riff SB is delicious as is Old Forrester 1920.  Dickel just released a 8yr bourbon that, at $30 is a great drinker. 

All in all, theres too many nice bourbons out there to get caught up in the hubbub...but I do enjoy the game.


[quote author=Pole Lock link=topic=53937.msg206590#msg206590 date=1641993513]
About 10 years ago, I met a whiskey rep at a local liquor store.  One of the brands he represented was Weller.  During a candid conversation with the shop owner, he said that the Van Winkle concern was selecting more and more barrels of Weller to be bottled under the Pappy label (especially Weller 12).  The distillery was content with having less Weller 12 because they made more per barrel by selling it to the Van Winkles.  He said we could expect Weller to become harder and harder to find.  Looks like he was right.

Why is Weller popular?  Induced scarcity.  There are better wheated bourbons on the market.
[/quote]

[Hotboy]

[quote author=JL Miller link=topic=53937.msg206308#msg206308 date=1640394568]
weird, people chase Weller, its meh.They pay crazy price for the 12, I like it at $40.[/quote]

I paid $25 for my few bottles a number of years ago...not sure I'd pay $40 for it.

[jthom]

I refused to pay $40 the only time I saw it behind the register at an old school store.  Things were far better in the bourbon world 15 years ago.  I miss those days.