William Larue Weller Bourbon

William Larue Weller Bourbon is one of the flagship annual releases in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC) and one of the most sought-after wheated bourbons in American whiskey. Produced by Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, it honors William Larue Weller, the bourbon pioneer associated with replacing rye with wheat in the mash bill to create a softer, smoother bourbon profile. Unlike standard Weller expressions, William Larue Weller is released once a year, bottled uncut and unfiltered, and presented at barrel proof, which changes from vintage to vintage. Buffalo Trace’s current official listing shows the 2025 release at 128 proof (64% ABV), while the 2025 BTAC press release describes a 14-year-old version at 129 proof, reflecting how proof and age vary depending on the specific annual bottling.

In style, this is best positioned as a luxury, cask-strength wheated bourbon with both deep sweetness and mature oak structure rather than a lighter everyday bourbon. Buffalo Trace’s official tasting notes for the current release describe aromas of caramel corn, new leather, plums, light toffee, and pipe tobacco, followed by a palate of marshmallow, salted almonds, nougat, figs, and dates, with a smooth, sweet finish. The 2025 BTAC release notes describe another recent profile of vanilla, maple, tobacco, toasted oak, and ripe fruit, which shows how the whiskey keeps the same wheated-bourbon richness while shifting slightly from year to year. Across enthusiast reviews, it’s often described as dense, syrupy, layered, and powerful, with recurring notes of caramel, cherry, chocolate, baking spice, brown sugar, honey, oak, dried fruit, and leather.

If you’re writing product copy, the cleanest positioning is: a limited annual wheated Kentucky straight bourbon from Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection, bottled uncut and unfiltered at barrel proof and offering rich layers of caramel, leather, toffee, tobacco, marshmallow, almonds, figs, dates, oak, and dark fruit. It fits best as a collector bourbon, giftable premium whiskey, or luxury sipping bourbon.