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BOTM 8/10: Weller Centennial


fishnbowljoe
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Imagine my surprise when I was reviewing past BOTM's and realized that Weller Centennial hadn't been BOTM yet. :bigeyes: Being a lover of all things Weller, I just had to fix that. :grin: I'm pretty sure we'll get a lot of posts this month. I know this is one of those "unique" bourbons a lot of you like, or at the very least will have something to say about it.

My thoughts on Weller Centennial; Well, what can I say? A lot of you know of my fondness of all Weller products. Centennial is right up there at the top of my list. Through the kindness and generosity of some fellow members, and a little luck while dusty hunting, I've been fortunate enough to taste six or seven different bottlings of this wonderful bourbon. IMHO, there's not a bad one in the bunch. I'm sure that most everyone will agree with me when I say that it's really too bad that this bourbon is no longer in production. :frown:

So, for the upcoming dog days of August, let's quench our thirst with, and post our thoughts about good ol' Weller Centennial. Cheers y'all. Joe

PS. FWIW, I just had to have a pour of Centennial while composing this post. I say again, it's really too bad this one isn't made any more.

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IMHO, there's not a bad one in the bunch. I'm sure that most everyone will agree with me when I say that it's really too bad that this bourbon is no longer in production. :frown:
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What more can be said about WL Weller Cetennial that hasn't been said before..

BT flushed this brand down the toilet for,... well,... I don't know, maybe they had a reason.

It is becoming a ledgend and has been out of production for four years? Or five.

Last time I bought any off the shelf here in MI I think it was $38.00 now some eBay sellers have it $150.00.

I have had several variations of retailers "Selected By" bottles and from both the Louisville and Frankfort distilleries.

The best one I have given the Holy Grail status and that was selected by Julio's Liquors in MA.

It is actually a 12yo, the bottle they selected a year or two prior was a 14yo, I missed out on that one.

It seems to me that one of the top magazines gave WLW Cen a 98 rating, I haven't seen a rating that high since.

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Sad to say, I've never been able to lay my hands, or my lips for that matter, on a bottle.

That makes 2 of us...

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That makes 2 of us...

Make that 3 - the only Weller I see with any regularity is Antique. Sometimes I'll see the BTAC Weller, and I once saw Special Reserve in NYC. Never seen Centennial or the 12 y.o.

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Make it four -- I can find Reserve, 12-year and Antique, but even though I know Centennial has been gone for a while, none of the retailers I talk to even remember having it.

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I used to know a shop with a decent-sized stash of dusty-ish Frankfort bottles. I might have to see what they still have and set up some trades!

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Make it four -- I can find Reserve, 12-year and Antique, but even though I know Centennial has been gone for a while, none of the retailers I talk to even remember having it.

I don't know what part of the Bay Area you're in, but there's a fairly low level in this area of bourbon knowledge amongst retailers. Plus, Fitz and Weller have never been the major labels that they are in, say, Texas. Most local small retailers didn't grow up with any sort of cocktail culture, much less a bourbon culture.

If you want someone who talks bourbon and rye, go see our friend Ed at Ledger's Liquor in Berkeley. He networks with enthusiasts like us to be the first with new and most interesting products to stock, as well as collaborating on barrel purchases.

Roger

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I used to know a shop with a decent-sized stash of dusty-ish Frankfort bottles. I might have to see what they still have and set up some trades!

:bigeyes: :bigeyes: :bigeyes:

Ahem.... (*cough Cough....):rolleyes: :rolleyes: OVER HERE !!!! :grin: :grin: :grin:

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I used to know a shop with a decent-sized stash of dusty-ish Frankfort bottles. I might have to see what they still have and set up some trades!
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I don't know what part of the Bay Area you're in, but there's a fairly low level in this area of bourbon knowledge amongst retailers. Plus, Fitz and Weller have never been the major labels that they are in, say, Texas. Most local small retailers didn't grow up with any sort of cocktail culture, much less a bourbon culture.

I've been noticing this "low level" of which you speak. It's sort of sad, but if it means more good bourbon for those who want it, it may not be an entirely bad thing!

If you want someone who talks bourbon and rye, go see our friend Ed at Ledger's Liquor in Berkeley. He networks with enthusiasts like us to be the first with new and most interesting products to stock, as well as collaborating on barrel purchases.
Thanks for that -- several people have recommended Ledger's to me and next time I'm Berkeley I will be stopping by. I found Jackson's in Lafayette and they have a very good relationship with BT/Sazerac. Picked up a bottle of WLW while I was there. They were also the only ones that were familiar with the Centennial issue and agree they wish it was still made as they always sold out of it a day or two after it arrived.

Cordially,

Trace T., looking forward to, perhaps one day, actually tasting the Centennial.

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Sipping on one of these in honor of the DBOTM. (Dusty Bottle of the Month)

Tasty and sad that it's gone, unless you want to water down some WLW.

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Sipping on a Frankfort Cent pour now...next up is a pour of Louisville Cent in celebration of BOTM...hopefully I'll be able to find one of these at a store someplace in August! :cool:

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Mine is a Frankfort and I love it. Now I have to find a Louisville to go along with it!

Gary

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...I found Jackson's in Lafayette and they have a very good relationship with BT/Sazerac. Picked up a bottle of WLW while I was there. They were also the only ones that were familiar with the Centennial...

Jackson's is under the same ownershop or in some other way teamed up with Monument in Concord. They used to do barrels of Centennial, ORVW/Pappy 15, ORVW 10 and a couple others. In the north bay, Jayvee in Napa has done various BT/VW barrels. Other good stores include Beltramos, D&M and K&L.

I talked with the Jayvee buyer about 3 years ago, when he was excited about doing HH barrels. If memory serves, it was EC12 and EC18. I don't recall seeing any barrel purchases of HH there, or elsewhere, though.

Roger

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Opened my Louisville Centennial and it was gone a week later. Best bourbon I remember ever having.

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I would put the Louisville sample that Bob sent me against any bourbon. I had an ORVW 15/107 last night, and as good as it was, it wasn't distinctly better than the Louisville Cent in my opinion. The early Frankfort bottle I have open is clearly a step below Bob's bottle, but still stellar.

I'll have a swig of the Frankfort bottle this evening.

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Darn it Joe, you are going to force me to open a couple of Weller Centennials. I've compared the Louisville to Frankfort in the past and I recall both as excellent pours, I'll have to refresh my memory.

What more needs be said other than thanks Joe for choosing this BOTM

Will

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It's all Joe's fault....I opened a Julio's Centennial (13yr) and geez I'm glad I did. Delicious. This stuff is thick, giving a very nice oily coating to the side of the glass. Finish is long, flavorful and ends slightly tannic.

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I actually killed the bottle of Weller Cent that I was nursing in honor of this BOTM. Good stuff for sure.

I am always surprised by the complexity of this. Lots of good wood notes, but not just oak flavors -- I tasted some sweet maple in my last glass. This is a "thick" bourbon that leaves you feeling very satisfied. It is sweet, but not in a syrupy way. Good stuff.

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Darn it Joe, you are going to force me to open a couple of Weller Centennials. I've compared the Louisville to Frankfort in the past and I recall both as excellent pours, I'll have to refresh my memory.

What more needs be said other than thanks Joe for choosing this BOTM

Will

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It's all Joe's fault....I opened a Julio's Centennial (13yr) and geez I'm glad I did. Delicious. This stuff is thick, giving a very nice oily coating to the side of the glass. Finish is long, flavorful and ends slightly tannic.
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It's all Joe's fault....I opened a Julio's Centennial (13yr) and geez I'm glad I did. Delicious. This stuff is thick, giving a very nice oily coating to the side of the glass. Finish is long, flavorful and ends slightly tannic.

I didn't even realize you had used the term "thick" one post before me... must be a recurring theme.

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