William Larue Weller 2014 140.2 Proof 12 Year (Highest Proof WLW)

The 2014 William Larue Weller — a wheated barrel-proof bourbon from the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, bottled uncut and unfiltered at 140.2 proof after roughly twelve years and three months in new charred oak.

Distilled in the spring of 2002 and bottled in 2014, this is one of the higher-proof releases in the WLW run. At 70.1% ABV it sits near the top of what the annual Antique Collection has ever put out, and that concentration is the whole point of the bottling: nothing is cut, nothing is filtered, and the barrel's own strength decides the number on the label.

William Larue Weller is the wheated member of the BTAC lineup. Replacing rye with wheat as the secondary grain softens the spine of the whiskey, which is what allows a bourbon at this proof to read rich rather than sharp — the reason older WLW vintages are chased as hard as they are.

Tasting Notes

• Nose: Deep caramel, vanilla bean, dark cherry, toasted oak, brown sugar and warm baking spice.
• Palate: Full-bodied and powerful — rich toffee, dark chocolate, caramel, dried fruit, vanilla, cinnamon and seasoned oak.
• Finish: Exceptionally long and warming, with lingering dark fruit, sweet oak, vanilla, leather and spice.

Specs

• Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
• Collection: Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
• Release: 2014
• Type: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey, wheated mashbill
• Age: Approximately 12 years, 3 months
• Distilled: Spring 2002
• Proof: 140.2 (70.1% ABV)
• Bottling: Barrel proof, uncut and unfiltered
• Size: 750ml

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Frequently Asked Questions

• What is the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection? An annual release of five limited bourbons and ryes from Buffalo Trace, issued each autumn since 2000. William Larue Weller is the wheated bourbon in the set. Each vintage differs in age and proof because the barrels are selected fresh every year, which is why collectors track BTAC by year rather than as a single product.
• What does wheated mean? Bourbon needs at least 51% corn; the rest is usually rye and malted barley. A wheated bourbon swaps the rye for wheat, which removes the peppery bite rye contributes and leaves a rounder, softer profile. At 140.2 proof that softness is doing real work.
• How does 140.2 proof compare to other WLW releases? It's among the strongest. The run has ranged from the high 120s into the low 140s across its vintages, so 2014 sits at the upper end — one reason this particular year is sought after.