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William Larue Weller Bourbon

Every wheated bourbon on the market today, Weller, Van Winkle, Pappy, all of it, traces back to one 19th-century distiller who decided to swap rye for wheat in his mash bill. That distiller was William Larue Weller, and this bottle, released once a year as part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, is Buffalo Trace’s tribute to the man who started the entire wheated bourbon category.

The Man Who Started It All

Weller began distilling in the 1800s and is widely credited as one of the first, if not the first, to use wheat instead of rye as bourbon’s secondary grain, prioritizing smoothness over spice. That single decision eventually shaped everything from the everyday Weller lineup to the near-mythical Van Winkle family, both of which still use variations of the wheated approach he pioneered over a century and a half ago.

Why This Release Is Different From Standard Weller

Regular Weller bottles, Special Reserve, Weller 12, even C.Y.P.B. — are all proofed down to specific, standardized numbers before bottling. William Larue Weller skips that step entirely. It’s bottled uncut and unfiltered, straight from the barrel, at whatever proof those specific barrels naturally reached, usually well above 125. That makes it the most intense, least modified expression of the wheated style Weller himself pioneered.

What’s Actually in the Bottle

Deep caramel and brown sugar intensified by the high proof, layered with dark cherry, baking spice, and heavy oak, finishing long and warm with the smoothness typical of wheated bourbon still present underneath the barrel-proof intensity.

Is This the Same as Pappy Van Winkle?

No, though the connection is closer than people often realize. Both trace back to the same wheated bourbon philosophy and, in some years, have even been distilled using similar underlying recipes at Buffalo Trace. But William Larue Weller is its own distinct BTAC release with its own age statement and barrel selection, separate from the Van Winkle family’s specific releases.

Why It’s Part of an Elite Annual Release

William Larue Weller is one of five whiskeys released together each fall as the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, alongside George T. Stagg, Eagle Rare 17, Sazerac 18, and Thomas H. Handy Sazerac Rye. Within that group, it’s the only wheated bourbon, giving BTAC hunters a genuinely different flavor profile compared to the collection’s rye-forward members.

Who This Bottle Is For

Ideal for wheated bourbon fans who want to taste the style at its most concentrated and unaltered form, or for collectors completing a full BTAC set each year. Given the elevated proof, most drinkers find a few drops of water helps open up the sweetness without losing the barrel character.

Explore More

See how it compares to the rest of the collection in our [Buffalo Trace Antique Collection Guide], or check out our Weller 12 Year for a more approachable, everyday version of the same wheated philosophy.

Specifications

FAQ 

Q: Who was William Larue Weller?
A: A 19th-century distiller widely credited as one of the first to use wheat instead of rye in bourbon, pioneering the wheated bourbon style that later shaped brands like Weller and Van Winkle.

Q: Is William Larue Weller the same as Pappy Van Winkle?
A: No, though both share the same wheated bourbon philosophy. William Larue Weller is its own distinct annual release within the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, separate from the Van Winkle family’s specific bottlings.

Q: How is William Larue Weller different from standard Weller bottles?
A: Standard Weller releases are proofed down to a fixed number before bottling, while William Larue Weller is bottled uncut and unfiltered at full barrel strength, typically exceeding 125 proof.