hectic1 Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 In celebration of the best time of the year I made a visit to Binny's to find that they have finally gotten in their private bottling of Weller Special Reserve. I grabbed one and will probably be grabbing some additionals in the coming weeks for the bunker...on first visit it sweet on entry with maple and vanilla turning to a hint of dried fruit on the finish. I didn't get the woody character or the dryness that I have on some of the WSR SB's out there...going to revisit in a week or two to see if I still give it the "buy" rating! :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cigarnv Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 The WSR is always a crowd pleaser with folks as it is such an easy drinker. Over the past few years I have had bottles that have been just "OK" to others that are very good. Looking forward to your take on the Binny's as I am due to do a bit of restocking.... assume this is an under $20 bottle? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gblick Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 The other day I found a handle of WT Old#8 bottled in '95. I had some from '97 that I was not impressed with at all, but I'd heard that earlier years were much better (but I forgot which years were the good ones), so I took a chance and bought it. It turned out to be real good tasting.I also picked up a couple of OWA and one OGD114 that day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
T Comp Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 In celebration of the best time of the year I made a visit to Binny's to find that they have finally gotten in their private bottling of Weller Special Reserve. I grabbed one and will probably be grabbing some additionals in the coming weeks for the bunker...on first visit it sweet on entry with maple and vanilla turning to a hint of dried fruit on the finish. I didn't get the woody character or the dryness that I have on some of the WSR SB's out there...going to revisit in a week or two to see if I still give it the "buy" rating! :cool:The WSR is always a crowd pleaser with folks as it is such an easy drinker. Over the past few years I have had bottles that have been just "OK" to others that are very good. Looking forward to your take on the Binny's as I am due to do a bit of restocking.... assume this is an under $20 bottle?I've only had one taste, compliments of Joe, and as a guy who has loved all the past Binny's bottlings, would just say this is my least favorite and "OK"... but I'm just not the biggest WSR fan and didn't think much either of the Everett's bottling that a lot of other people really enjoy. I think Joe mentioned this was originally supposed to be an OWA bottling :yum: but something got lost in the translation between them and BT. Price is $18.99.The other day I found a handle of WT Old#8 bottled in '95. I had some from '97 that I was not impressed with at all, but I'd heard that earlier years were much better (but I forgot which years were the good ones), so I took a chance and bought it. It turned out to be real good tasting.Yup, 92- 95 and I need me some more! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AaronWF Posted June 21, 2011 Share Posted June 21, 2011 I've only had one taste, compliments of Joe, and as a guy who has loved all the past Binny's bottlings, would just say this is my least favorite and "OK"... but I'm just not the biggest WSR fan and didn't think much either of the Everett's bottling that a lot of other people really enjoy. I think Joe mentioned this was originally supposed to be an OWA bottling :yum: but something got lost in the translation between them and BT. Price is $18.99. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanL Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 2 PVW 15 and 2 PVW 20 in Philly on my way back home from Atlantic City. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightNoChaser Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Some interesting finds yesterday that I picked up this morning after a little research: Weller 12yo with the raised wheat in the glass (picture below) Numbers stamped on the back, according to Ian S., indicate it is a 2004 bottling: 42041013:22pm So far I have only smelled it but it has a superbly rich aroma... probably going to go pick up a newer W12 today and do a side by side WTRB W-T-01-97 375ml I'm not much of a Turkey fan but figured I could either drink this and get a feel for what WT used to be or use it in a trade with a friend WTKS Pewter top All of the information on the necker has been completely rubbed off with the exception of "On Rick No. 26" Any information on these bottles would be helpful. Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hectic1 Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Some interesting finds yesterday that I picked up this morning after a little research:Weller 12yo with the raised wheat in the glass (picture below) Numbers stamped on the back, according to Ian S., indicate it is a 2004 bottling: 42041013:22pm So far I have only smelled it but it has a superbly rich aroma... probably going to go pick up a newer W12 today and do a side by side. That Weller 12 is actually a 2010 release...they didn't start using that bottle until 2007 and the code indicates that it was bottled on the 204th day of 2010 at 1:22pm. Sorry to burst your bubble... On the WTKS I'm guesing that is a 2001 or earlier bottling as the sticker on the front changed in 2002 to a brown sticker that they started using on the WTKS smooth brown tops in 2003. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BradleyC Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 On the WTKS I'm guesing that is a 2001 or earlier bottling as the sticker on the front changed in 2002 to a brown sticker that they started using on the WTKS smooth brown tops in 2003. I have a WTKS from 3/5/01 that has the brown the label so I'm guessing this one is older than that. Along the Weller 12 lines, I picked up 3 bottles this weekend for $14.99 each. It was a small store in a small town. They had price stickers on everything and did not have a scanner at the register. I didn't put a whole lot of thought into it when I saw them, other than grabbing them. Later on, I made the determination that whoever put the price tags on these bottles was not a bourbon person and must have thought they were Weller Sp. Reserve. I don't really care what year they are from, but they are the new bottle shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian S. Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 That Weller 12 is actually a 2010 release...they didn't start using that bottle until 2007 and the code indicates that it was bottled on the 204th day of 2010 at 1:22pm. Sorry to burst your bubble... Ok, so the dating is solved. I have several new bottle Weller 12's and the serials are either gone or in a different format than the above. It's also safe to say that there have been different versions of this new bottle and label. I would also say that some SW juice has made it into some early offerings of this bottle. I have a liter of the new bottle that is definitely SW....I have no doubt about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian S. Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 On another note. I picked up a PVW15, Weller 12, and Weller SR today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightNoChaser Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Whatever the verdict, my raised wheat emblem bottle tastes significantly different from the newer bottle I bought today to taste side by side. The "older" bottle has a dark sugar note I find present in PVW and a rich "strawey" wheat dryness. The newer bottle has the distinct BT corn note that I know so well from the countless OWA bottles I've consumed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian S. Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Whatever the verdict, my raised wheat emblem bottle tastes significantly different from the newer bottle I bought today to taste side by side. The "older" bottle has a dark sugar note I find present in PVW and a rich "strawey" wheat dryness. The newer bottle has the distinct BT corn note that I know so well from the countless OWA bottles I've consumedSeeing that I have now sipped from two different newer bottles definitely containing SW juice. I believe you...But my Tommy Gun don't! :grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightNoChaser Posted June 22, 2011 Share Posted June 22, 2011 Another thought to consider... I had 3 different people do a blind tasting of the "old" Weller 12 and the newer one without telling either what they were at all. Each one picked the raised wheat emblem as the richer, smoother and better whiskey.My new bottle, without the wheat emblem, has the printed stamp: "34 10 111 0458 W"This stamp is not consistent in sequence, spacing or font with the other bottle in question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hectic1 Posted June 22, 2011 Author Share Posted June 22, 2011 Whatever the verdict, my raised wheat emblem bottle tastes significantly different from the newer bottle I bought today to taste side by side. The "older" bottle has a dark sugar note I find present in PVW and a rich "strawey" wheat dryness. The newer bottle has the distinct BT corn note that I know so well from the countless OWA bottles I've consumed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightNoChaser Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 The early bottles of this stuff were most likely Bernheim juice not SW...SW closed in 1992 so I'd have a hard time believing that they were using SW juice at 15 years of age when they had 12 year Bernheim available. In 2007 Binny's bought a barrel of 14yr 3 month Bernheim and bottled it as Weller 12...I would think that BT would use the same juice for standard bottles when they have Julian needing their SW barrels for Pappy. IMO the Bernheim Weller 12 is very good...head a shoulders better then the current BT Weller 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian S. Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 The early bottles of this stuff were most likely Bernheim juice not SW...SW closed in 1992 so I'd have a hard time believing that they were using SW juice at 15 years of age when they had 12 year Bernheim available. In 2007 Binny's bought a barrel of 14yr 3 month Bernheim and bottled it as Weller 12...I would think that BT would use the same juice for standard bottles when they have Julian needing their SW barrels for Pappy. IMO the Bernheim Weller 12 is very good...head a shoulders better then the current BT Weller 12. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightNoChaser Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 The straw taste I get in this is similar to the Bernheim wheat whiskey I tried lately Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightNoChaser Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Did the Berheim juice mimic the cotton candy-esque nose and finish of the S-W juice?I've tasted 2 bottles of Weller 12(new bottle) that are definitely the closest thing to SW than ANYTHING that BT has produced. From the char/wood out of those Weller 12(SW?) bottles, they could definitely be older than 12 years. Did SW barrels come with the purchase of the Weller brand? If so, wouldn't it make since to bottle what they had while their own Weller mashbill distillate was aging? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightNoChaser Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 More proof that searching wins, but only when you know the right terms...http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/archive/index.php/t-6686.htmlexplains the handovers and history of the distillates Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightNoChaser Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Went out on a evening mini hunt and scored:2x Old Fitzgerald BiB DSP KY 16 375mlElmer T Lee, Goody Goody hand selected barrel129* Thomas H Handy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StraightNoChaser Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Interesting to note that these Old Fitz BiB bottles look like they previous wore a tax strip. There is no other method of sealing on the bottles. It makes me nervous, as far as tampering goes, but the one I opened tastes absolutely legit Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autiger23 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Pulled in a favor and got one strait from JVW for $360 out the door shipped. It finally all worked out and just glad it's in hand now...ORVW 23 decanter! Happy week. Also a PVW15 and two 1L Weller 12yr's....my first bottles ever...really happy week! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcg9779 Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Pulled in a favor and got one strait from JVW for $360 out the door shipped. It finally all worked out and just glad it's in hand now...ORVW 23 decanter! Happy week.Also a PVW15 and two 1L Weller 12yr's....my first bottles ever...really happy week!Very nice, Robert! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mrviognier Posted June 23, 2011 Share Posted June 23, 2011 Stopped by La Masion du Whiskey's shop on the rue d'Anjou in Paris, and picked up a bottle each of Blanton's Special Reserve, Gold Edition and 105 proof special bottling, as well as a special bottling of Four Roses Single Barrel and Evan Williams 23 year-old... ...now all I need to do is figure out how to bring these babies home in one piece! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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