Weller Special Reserve Is Just Wonderful

[MJL]

I have been sampling the 1.75 liter bottle of Weller Special Reserve I bought a few months back. This is most certainly a very special drink....where has these been all my life. Is it me or is there a faint coconut-like aftertaste? Sounds weird but I like it a lot.

[Dr. François]

Weller SR is a great go-to bottle. Recently I've lost some interest in it, partially due to the cooler weather. It's a great wheater. Here in MI the price is pretty high. I've heard rumors it drops down to 20 bucks for 1.75L in Kentucky. I picked mine up for 24 bucks!

Summary:

Great taste

Light body

Great QPR

[polyamnesia]

all i know of this wonderful pour is a dusty from the 1980s i found....and i am sure the current (is it so?) is just a great. i am tending away from the wheaters.....i am sure i will come back, but rye has caught my fancy

PA only offers (as far as i know) the Antique 107....still, a major player esp. in my bourbon upbringin' !

[funknik]

I'm don't keep wheaters around, generally, but I'll always have a bottle of this around. It's $13 here which makes it an easy go-to bottle -- great coming out of the freezer.

[bvscfanatic]

I have been sampling the 1.75 liter bottle of Weller Special Reserve ... This is most certainly a very special drink ... where has these been all my life ... ?

Thanks for sharing.

I have an as-of-yet unopened half gallon which I purchased because one of my bandmates is fond of Maker's Mark, and this was a far less pricey wheater that I wanted him to try and that I wanted to try myself.

My own biggest surprise recently is that I'm developing quite a fondness for the Very Old Barton's 100 proof BIB. It isn't up to the quality of Wild Turkey 101, but it isn't nearly up to the COST of the WT either. For $23/half gallon (1.75L), it's well worth a try. I've been amazed by the great reviews it has gotten from some of the booze snobs on this and other forums.

I'm trying just about everything 90 proof and above these days, and the Weller SR is high on my list of priorities. Thanks again for your feedback, MJL.

[ggilbertva]

VOB BIB is not produced anymore as they have dropped the BIB designation. If you can still find it, grab some bottles to bunker. The Barton is one of my low price favorites along with AAA 10 year. Other wheaters to try are Weller Antique and Old Rip Van Winkle 10/107. Both of these have higher proof which I think adds to the depth of flavor. Weller is good but I think Antique and ORVW are better.

[shoshani]

My own biggest surprise recently is that I'm developing quite a fondness for the Very Old Barton's 100 proof BIB. It isn't up to the quality of Wild Turkey 101, but it isn't nearly up to the COST of the WT either.

Yeah, I bought some of this on Friday and was blown away. It is inexpensive (l think it was under $12 or so) but at 6 years of age it is quite the distinguished gentleman of a whiskey. It's very laid back and reserved, it delivers its caramel and toffee and vanilla and then it sits quietly waiting for you to notice it again. Not aggressive or pretentious in the least, just good sippin' whiskey for the money.

[bvscfanatic]

VOB BIB is not produced anymore as they have dropped the BIB designation. If you can still find it, grab some bottles to bunker. The Barton is one of my low price favorites along with AAA 10 year. Other wheaters to try are Weller Antique and Old Rip Van Winkle 10/107. Both of these have higher proof which I think adds to the depth of flavor. Weller is good but I think Antique and ORVW are better.

The bottle clearly states "Bottled In Bond" and I purchased it very recently. But heck, if that's true then maybe I'll put a case or two away for a rainy day. The 100 proof BIB is only $23 per half gallon around here. Last time I looked at the Liquor Barn in Lexington, the shelves were well stocked with it.

Thanks for the heads up. When did they stop making it? Or did we just quit exporting it to northern VA? :slappin:

[kickert]

VOB BIB is not produced anymore as they have dropped the BIB designation.

I had heard rumors of this, but if I recall correctly, it turned out they were just rumors.

I picked up a VOB BIB the other day from a store that goes through that stuff like it is water. It was still bonded (although the bonded designation is a bit hidden).

[PAspirit1]

I have been sampling the 1.75 liter bottle of Weller Special Reserve I bought a few months back. This is most certainly a very special drink....where has these been all my life. Is it me or is there a faint coconut-like aftertaste? Sounds weird but I like it a lot.

I haven't had that one yet. I've had a couple bottles of Weller Antique and I think they had an especially good flavor. I'm looking to try more Weller products but they are hard to find around here.

[ggilbertva]

I had heard rumors of this, but if I recall correctly, it turned out they were just rumors.

I picked up a VOB BIB the other day from a store that goes through that stuff like it is water. It was still bonded (although the bonded designation is a bit hidden).

You may be correct. It was first suggested by Chuck Cowdery that the BIB designation was going away for the VOB. If that's not true, good news. I think the VOB BIB is a terrific pour especially at the price point you pay.

Sadly though, over the last couple of years we've seen proof lowered, age statements disappear and prices go up. Old Forester dropped the BIB designation so it wouldn't surprise me if others followed suit eventually.

[shoshani]

Old Forester dropped the BIB designation but was careful to assure buyers that the 100 proof expression would still maintain its quality.

Actually, by keeping 100 proof without bottling in bond, new avenues are opened up because they are not restricted to vatting barrels from a single distilling season. So long as the oldest whiskey is four years old, they can vat barrels from older seasons and achieve different profiles that can still meet or even exceed BIB flavor expectations.

The VOB BIB I bought at Binny's last Friday has a new label redesign, as does the entire line; I actually missed the Bottled In Bond designation because it's done in small-size copperplate script at the very top of the label.

In that respect, the other VOB expressions may have an edge over the BIB. The BIB expression would of necessity be bottled from its single distilling season six years ago. Despite their lower proof, the other expressions can conceivably contain some whiskey that is older than six years.

[bvscfanatic]

Sorry, MJL. I didn't mean to hijack your thread regarding the Weller SR. This discussion of BIB has been very interesting, though. I'm very glad that it took place and I appreciate all of this new information.

Alan

[ThomasW]

I have been sampling the 1.75 liter bottle of Weller Special Reserve I bought a few months back. This is most certainly a very special drink....where has these been all my life. Is it me or is there a faint coconut-like aftertaste? Sounds weird but I like it a lot.

I am also a big fan of this bourbon.

I totally agree that this is a very special drink!

But it makes me mad that I can't get it in Norway! :soapbox:

[funknik]

It IS a special drink! Having myself a snifter of this as we speak...it does have a sublime and unique nature...I can almost taste the coconut & pumpkin pie spice...sweet but solid.

[fishnbowljoe]

It most certainly is.:yum: Joe