Why is W.L. Weller 12 so good?

[StraightNoChaser]

Can't stand W12, tastes like signature BT tree sap

[StraightNoChaser]

I think it's sort of funny how everyone loves to vat OWA and W12. Not dissing anyone, of course. The humor is that everyone seems to love a ~100proof Weller with a median age of about 10 years... damn where have I heard that before?

[Kyjd75]

Can't stand W12, tastes like signature BT tree sap

Funny because that is the way Eagle Rare 10 yr tastes to me. But love my W12!

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[Lazer]

Can't stand W12, tastes like signature BT tree sap

mmmm... tree sap.:icon_pidu:

[boneuphtoner]

Getting back to the original question, I have no idea why Weller 12 is so darn good, but it is in my top two favorites. Having just procured my first Van Winkle purchase, a single ORVW 90 (all I was able to get with the spring allocation), I was excited to put it up against Weller 12. Perhaps it was an unfair comparison since the Weller 12 had been opened for about 3.5 weeks, and the ORVW was freshly opened....nevertheless, at first pour the Weller 12 blew the ORVW90 out of the water. Sweeter, better mouthfeel, more depth, just better across the board. We'll have to see how the comparison goes once the ORVW has been opened for awhile, but unless it really improves, I don't think I will buy it again.

[Bmac]

It's enough to make you wonder how they can tell the difference in taste between Weller and Van Winkle at that age. I am certain the batching is larger for Weller 12 than for ORVW.

I cannot deny, however, that wheaters open up over time. I was disgusted by my Lot B purchase. It wasnt any better than Weller 12 out of the bottle. 2 months later it now surpasses Weller 12. Its gotten smoother too. Oxidation and wheaters go hand in hand... But at some point there will be a drop off.

[fishnbowljoe]

I'm going to take a serious shot at answering the original question. My answer is based partly on generally accepted conclusions, and partly on my own semi-educated guess.

First off, it's generally accepted by most people that the "sweet" spot for the aging of a bourbon is 7-10 years, give or take a couple of years either way. Aging a bourbon 7-10 years usually gets the most flavor out of the barrel without imparting too much of a woody taste. The give or take of a couple of years leads to the second part of my answer.

Heat rises. The upper floors of a warehouse age bourbon faster than the lower floors. The master distillers know where to age their barrels in order to get the different flavor profiles they're looking for in a bourbon. In other words, they know which warehouses to age a product in, and which floors in said warehouses the barrels should be stored. If a master distiller wants a bourbon to age a little slower, the barrels most likely will be stored on lower floors.

My semi-educated guess is that Weller 12 is aged on, at the most, the middle floors of good or "honey" warehouses, and more likely than not, the middle/lower floors. My answer is based on reading, interaction with other members and people in the business, and personal observation.

Re: Personal Observation. The pics below were taken while I was on tours at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. FWIW, the barrel(s) in the pics were on the bottom floor of Warehouse C. :yum:

[bad_scientist]

It's enough to make you wonder how they can tell the difference in taste between Weller and Van Winkle at that age. I am certain the batching is larger for Weller 12 than for ORVW.

I cannot deny, however, that wheaters open up over time. I was disgusted by my Lot B purchase. It wasnt any better than Weller 12 out of the bottle. 2 months later it now surpasses Weller 12. Its gotten smoother too. Oxidation and wheaters go hand in hand... But at some point there will be a drop off.

I thought the PHC 2010 was awful, as well, when I first opened it, but over time it became one of the best bourbons I've ever had. The PVW15 I have also opened up a lot and the flavor profile is much more complex. I can only guess at how they know something will taste good later. Maybe it has something to do with them watering the whiskey down to 60 proof or so when doing the tastings.

[Bmac]

Heat rises. The upper floors of a warehouse age bourbon faster than the lower floors. The master distillers know where to age their barrels in order to get the different flavor profiles they're looking for in a bourbon. In other words, they know which warehouses to age a product in, and which floors in said warehouses the barrels should be stored. If a master distiller wants a bourbon to age a little slower, the barrels most likely will be stored on lower floors.

My semi-educated guess is that Weller 12 is aged on, at the most, the middle floors of good or "honey" warehouses, and more likely than not, the middle/lower floors. My answer is based on reading, interaction with other members and people in the business, and personal observation.

Re: Personal Observation. The pics below were taken while I was on tours at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. FWIW, the barrel(s) in the pics were on the bottom floor of Warehouse C. :yum: