What are your thoughts on WLW 12yo vs W Antique 107 and why are they so hard to find?

[tigerlam92]

I won't buy either but will buy both.

Don't like them by itself but when mixed together they are very good. My backup pour if I don't have something else.

Scarcity, I think now depend on area. In CA they are hard to come by. OWA is fairly plentiful while W12 very hard to find now. In TX, they are all over the place in every size imaginable.

[weller_tex]

I won't buy either but will buy both.

Don't like them by itself but when mixed together they are very good. My backup pour if I don't have something else.

Scarcity, I think now depend on area. In CA they are hard to come by. OWA is fairly plentiful while W12 very hard to find now. In TX, they are all over the place in every size imaginable.

That used to be the case in Texas. Unfortunately, we went on quite a dry stretch from Oct/Nov last year to March. Unheard of....

[vpcmotorsport]

I happen to have Weller 12 open and found it to be thinner and bit of a disappointment compared to past bottles. Weller 107 has always been a favorite, and I have a bottle that sits unopened. Both were available here Las Vegas late 2014 but disappeared quickly. There wasn't much of it and with the market as it operates in this boom made short work of the supply.

I don't see it on the well known bourbon bars on The Strip, and very little of it on my off strip haunts.

Yes I agree with you. Had some of my new bottle last night and was extremely disappointed. Sad if they are just trying to push it out the door.

[emr454]

WSR is more common than OWA around here. Never even seen (or tasted) Weller 12. We also have the "PVW substitute" story told here so that's why some are harder to find.

[fishnbowljoe]

I've waited a while before posting in this thread. Figured it was time I chimed in.

Weller 12, and OWA are both good IMHO. They're different, but in that difference, I believe they both have something pretty decent and unique to bring to the table. Nuff' 'Ced.

Now, about why they are so hard to find….. As explained in a thread a while back, rolling shortages/blackouts. My take on that is that with the current bourbon boom, BT no longer has large numbers of stock coming of bottling age at the same time. They bottle what they can when it reaches the appropriate profile/age. So now, instead of being able to bottle enough product to ship nationwide, they only have enough aged product to ship out to certain different areas of the country, at different times. What their criteria for that is, I haven't a clue. But I will say I've witnessed it first hand more than once. Where I live, I hadn't seen ETL on the shelves for almost two years. I went on vacation out east last year, and ETL was all over the place. Pretty reasonably priced too for the most part. I've also seen the same thing with regards to Weller 12 and OWA too. Kinda crazy, but I've even seen the same thing happening with Weller SR, although to a lesser extent. No Weller SR here lately, but when I was down south recently, there was plenty available.

Joe

[jfw]

Weller 12 is tough to find in MD. Weller 107 is really easy to find. Just depends on the state and the allocation I believe. Some of the 107 barrel picks by stores are really terrific.

[JvW]

Weller Antique 107 is one of my favorite sipping Bourbons and fortunately my local store here in southeastern Kentucky has a few in stock. The Weller 12 on the other hand is a tough one, but my brother in Germany got me one for about €40; kinda ironic I have to travel all the way to Europe to pickup a bottle that was produced in my neck of the woods; maybe I am just not searching hard enough, but looking forward picking it up.

Regards,

Jan

[portwood]

Weller Antique 107 is one of my favorite sipping Bourbons and fortunately my local store here in southeastern Kentucky has a few in stock. The Weller 12 on the other hand is a tough one, but my brother in Germany got me one for about €40; kinda ironic I have to travel all the way to Europe to pickup a bottle that was produced in my neck of the woods; maybe I am just not searching hard enough, but looking forward picking it up.

Regards,

Jan

If you have a passport and are willing to drive 5-6 hours you can buy all the Weller 12 you want at US$37 in Ontario (may not last long though)

[GAbiker]

We were lucky enough to get a Store Select Single Barrel of OWA at World Beverage in Duluth GA. And it's going fast.....

[TedBonVivant]

In and around Baltimore, OWA and WSR are a rarity. Never even saw a W12. Total Wine had a flush of the OWA in March. Bought 4. Went in 3 days later. Gone. After calling around, looks like next time might be in the fall.

Sucks.

[rod]

We were lucky enough to get a Store Select Single Barrel of OWA at World Beverage in Duluth GA. And it's going fast.....

Curious if the store will share the age of the barrel?

My personal barrel was well after they dropped the 7 year age statement, was still 6.5+ years old.

If you know the dump date and barrel code you can figure it out.

E.g. 06-L-18-O-5-73-124

means 2006 - Dec(L) 18th - Warehouse 0, 5th floor, rick 73 barrel 124

[mrfat]

Weller 12 has been a ghost here for the past year or so. One place has 3 bottles for the reasonable price of $120 each. OWA is very hit or miss and the places that do have it want $40. I think Bevmo was the cheapest at $28 but haven't seen it there for months.

[gblick]

What are your thoughts on the 12yo vs the Antique?

I've always preferred the Antique over the 12yo.

[JvW]

If you have a passport and are willing to drive 5-6 hours you can buy all the Weller 12 you want at US$37 in Ontario (may not last long though)

Hello Portwood,

I actually spend some time in Toronto and Montreal (sometimes even Halifax) for work and wonder what I can find north of the border? What about going across the border in Detroit? Any suggestions? Thanks

Jan

[portwood]

Hello Portwood,

I actually spend some time in Toronto and Montreal (sometimes even Halifax) for work and wonder what I can find north of the border? What about going across the border in Detroit? Any suggestions? Thanks

Jan

[JvW]

I saw the selection and prices in Kentucky on my way through Lexington back in March. You will be VERY disappointed with both selection AND prices in Ontario. Having said that, occasionally a bargain presents itself. Currently we have Blanton's original for Cdn$65 and WLW12 for Cdn$45 - both great buys IMO.

Have a look at the link below to see what's available and where.

http://www.foodanddrink.ca/lcbo-ear/lcbo/product/searchResults.do?language=EN&style=+LCBO.css&action=result&dropdown=&radio=&STOCK_TYPE_NAME=All&ITEM_NAME=&KEYWORDS=&ITEM_NUMBER=&LIQUOR_TYPE_SHORT_=Spirits&CATEGORY_NAME=*&SUB_CATEGORY_NAME=*&PRODUCING_CNAME=USA&PRODUCING_REGION_N=*&SELLING_PRICE=*

[alstevens]

W12 seems to be a dime a dozen around Chicago now. I've been at stores that have had dozens of them on the shelf. OWA seems to be slightly harder to find but I still see it and WSR is even more difficult for some reason, but I would be able to find them if needed.

I'm in the burbs too, but we must be in VERY different "burbs." These burbs WSR goes for $19 at a few places. I found it last January and then it disappeared. There's a store near my work that will put one bottle on the shelf with a 30 dollar price tag. I like it, but its not 30 dollars good. There are two other liquor stores I stopped at last week that WSR for $24.

OWA is another story for me. That one seems much more rarer. I have only found it twice.

Weller 12 I have never seen on the shelves. I'm still hunting for it.

[Bourbon Envy]

OWA & WSR is readily available in OKC. The WLW12 has practically disappeared over the last couple months. I've seen it in one liquor store locally, but everywhere else I've been it's gone.

I like both the OWA & WLW12 for different reasons and I have even done the unthinkable, I mixed them together...gasp! Truth be told, it is interesting to compare them all side by side, but I like WLW 12 the best.

Cheers, -BE

[fozzy71]

.....

I like both the OWA & WLW12 for different reasons and I have even done the unthinkable, I mixed them together...gasp! ...

Cheers, -BE

Not sure if you are being sarcastic but that is known as poor man's pappy or the SB (Straigh Bourbon) blend.

[Bourbon Envy]

Yes...that would be sarcasm. ;-) I had read about that blend while previously lurking so I had to try it.