Has anyone been able to find Weller Wheated Bourbon 12 year. Looking for help in locating.

[Unoplop]

I dont know if im in the right subforum for this question.

 

I have been introduced to the bourbon scene by my boss who is into trying all diff kinds.  I heard about Weller Wheated Bourbon the 12 year and I have looked all over to find it.  I have gone to 4 diff total wines because I was told anything Buffalo Trace is a lottery for them and you just have to be lucky to find it.  I have looked all over online and the only ones I can find are going for like $200.  

 

Anyone come across this anywhere for a reasonable price anywhere or have any tips in finding it?  My boss's birthday is late June and I have already started looking and seem to be failing lol

 

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

[flahute]

4 hours ago, Unoplop said:

I dont know if im in the right subforum for this question.

 

I have been introduced to the bourbon scene by my boss who is into trying all diff kinds.  I heard about Weller Wheated Bourbon the 12 year and I have looked all over to find it.  I have gone to 4 diff total wines because I was told anything Buffalo Trace is a lottery for them and you just have to be lucky to find it.  I have looked all over online and the only ones I can find are going for like $200.  

 

Anyone come across this anywhere for a reasonable price anywhere or have any tips in finding it?  My boss's birthday is late June and I have already started looking and seem to be failing lol

 

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

Not really the right forum if you want eyeballs on it. The general forum is best.

 

To answer your question, nobody knows where to get this with any regularity and if they did they wouldn't be telling. A lot of lurkers here so any intel on an allocated bourbon like that means that any tips result in the bourbon being cleared out before the end of the day. To get this at MSRP you have to know someone at the store who will tell you when it comes in and then you have to be lucky.

[smokinjoe]

9 hours ago, Unoplop said:

I dont know if im in the right subforum for this question.

 

I have been introduced to the bourbon scene by my boss who is into trying all diff kinds.  I heard about Weller Wheated Bourbon the 12 year and I have looked all over to find it.  I have gone to 4 diff total wines because I was told anything Buffalo Trace is a lottery for them and you just have to be lucky to find it.  I have looked all over online and the only ones I can find are going for like $200.  

 

Anyone come across this anywhere for a reasonable price anywhere or have any tips in finding it?  My boss's birthday is late June and I have already started looking and seem to be failing lol

 

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

If you have family, friends, workmates, or any sort of affiliation in Texas, contacting them to search around for W12 would be your best bet.  If you can hook these people up for you, hit us up and we’ll consult on how to get the bottle to you.  Although, it’s not like the good old days, Texas still gets the lions share of BT’s Weller.  Hyevah...if yer from Oklahoma, they may tell you to go F yerself...  

[JoeTerp]

If a store is selling it at a price even close to retail it won't stay on the shelves very long (or even be on the shelf to begin with).  Retail stores where you actually see it are usually priced above secondary market pricing.  

 

If you really want to get your boss something nice you may be better off finding a nice store pick (I really like the Four Roses Private Selections, but those are nothing like Weller 12).

[fosmith]

I've been looking for Weller 12 for close to five years and have never seen a single one on the shelf here in the Bay Area.  Occasionally a Antique 107 or Special Reserve will pop up but those are few and far between.  If it has to be Weller 12, be prepared to bite the bullet and pay secondary price.  Otherwise seek out other good wheated bourbons that are more available (and IMO better than W12) such as Maker's Mark Cask Strength or a MM store pick.  In the $20 range, Larceny is pretty good, I think. 

 

Fred

[Adam777]

Last year my local LS got two shipments of Weller 12 at 3 bottles per shipment. So right there shows how scarce. They got 6 bottles of GTS all last year. For Michigan it was March/April and October/November time frames. Knowing when your liquor store gets there shipments can be helpful. I try to go to my local LS Tuesdays when they get their shipment. I get rewarded every now and then.

[Charlutz]

To the OP: echoing the other responses, you are chasing the white whale of bourbons. It’s not the most expensive or best but it’s possibly the greatest spread in terms of demand > supply. Most of us need to leverage liquor store connections that we’ve cultivated over years (no joke) by buying a lot of other alcohol to get a bottle a year. Save yourself a headache and start a new thread asking for some suggestions for a nice alternative to give as a gift. It will be helpful to know what else your boss has and likes, and what your price range is. Good luck. 

[gurgalunas]

23 minutes ago, Adam777 said:

Last year my local LS got two shipments of Weller 12 at 3 bottles per shipment. So right there shows how scarce. They got 6 bottles of GTS all last year. For Michigan it was March/April and October/November time frames. Knowing when your liquor store gets there shipments can be helpful. I try to go to my local LS Tuesdays when they get their shipment. I get rewarded every now and then.

Yep.  Find out delivery days and stop by.  Tuesday and Friday here.  

[Whiskeythink.com]

Gotta agree with Charlutz. In my opinion, the hype is not deserved. As far as a $30-35 12 year wheater, ya, its the only game in town, but that doesnt make it a fantastic bourbon. There are too many alternatives that are better.

 

I heard the 2018 Rebel Yell 10 yr should be out soon. Tho a wheater, its a different animal than W12. Some people really love it. Its a single barrel, and each barrel is a bit different.

[Harry in WashDC]

35 minutes ago, Whiskeythink.com said:

Gotta agree with Charlutz. In my opinion, the hype is not deserved. As far as a $30-35 12 year wheater, ya, its the only game in town, but that doesnt make it a fantastic bourbon. There are too many alternatives that are better.

 

I heard the 2018 Rebel Yell 10 yr should be out soon. Tho a wheater, its a different animal than W12. Some people really love it. Its a single barrel, and each barrel is a bit different.

FWIW, I find W12 just OK neat and not cost-effective for what I taste, but I love it as part of a vatting.  For $30-35 (depending on where I am buying), I likely would choose some other offerings.  Charlutz's post above is spot on.

[Dannabis]

Damn. I shoulda bunkered some. I have a bottle stored. I used to see it for 20-30$ all the time when I lived in NJ.

Never seen it in CO.

 

I did not expect this to become such a high demand or high priced whiskey.

[PaulO]

Since you're probably going to pay a lot and or go through a big hassle to get W12; consider the 11 year Old Fitz. 

[GeeTen]

7 hours ago, PaulO said:

Since you're probably going to pay a lot and or go through a big hassle to get W12; consider the 11 year Old Fitz. 

Same - same, but different!  Try to find either one . . . . . . .  

 

[El Vino]

10 hours ago, Dannabis said:

Damn. I shoulda bunkered some. I have a bottle stored. I used to see it for 20-30$ all the time when I lived in NJ.

Never seen it in CO.

 

I did not expect this to become such a high demand or high priced whiskey.

I have lived in NJ since the early 90’s and never once saw Weller 12 on the shelf.  OWA was once more frequent, but I never saw Weller 12 on a shelf outside of Texas or Florida.  You sure it was NJ?

Edited April 14, 2018 by El Vino

[kevinbrink]

On ‎4‎/‎14‎/‎2018 at 7:59 AM, El Vino said:

I have lived in NJ since the early 90’s and never once saw Weller 12 on the shelf.  OWA was once more frequent, but I never saw Weller 12 on a shelf outside of Texas or Florida.  You sure it was NJ?

Different timeline, but same story been a whiskey consumer since the early 2000's and don't recall ever seeing Weller 12 in NJ, my recollection is it used to be on the shelf in NY though.

[BottledInBond]

For what it’s worth, another alternative to consider would be the Rebel Yell 10 year. It’s also a little hard to find depending on your area, but it’s not usually gouge pricing when it’s available, and there aren’t really any other 10 year age stated wheated options as available. Prices vary of course but I find it from $47-$60 and buy most of them that I come across. It’s also single barrel so there is barrel to barrel variation, but I’ve liked most of mine pretty well.

[Charlutz]

1 hour ago, BottledInBond said:

For what it’s worth, another alternative to consider would be the Rebel Yell 10 year. It’s also a little hard to find depending on your area, but it’s not usually gouge pricing when it’s available, and there aren’t really any other 10 year age stated wheated options as available. Prices vary of course but I find it from $47-$60 and buy most of them that I come across. It’s also single barrel so there is barrel to barrel variation, but I’ve liked most of mine pretty well.

 

To me, RY10 is not an alternative to Weller. Sure, it’s a wheated bourbon but they taste nothing alike. Maybe it’s the yeast or something else about BT, but at least to my palate, ER10 and Blanton’s taste more like W12 than RY10 or Larceny. 

[Kane]

On 4/15/2018 at 10:27 AM, kevinbrink said:

Different timeline, but same story been a whiskey consumer since the early 2000's and don't recall ever seeing Weller 12 in NJ, my recollection is it used to be on the shelf in NY though.

Now I'm curious. Was it a distribution issue, or was W12 always (relatively) rare? Because when I first started this hobby around 2010/2011 I was drowning in W12 in Boston.

[kevinbrink]

1 minute ago, Kane said:

Now I'm curious. Was it a distribution issue, or was W12 always (relatively) rare? Because when I first started this hobby around 2010/2011 I was drowning in W12 in Boston.

Historically I think different products just hit different markets, the only Barton products that have ever hit NJ have been Ridgemont/1792, the actual Barton Brand isn't sold here but it was available in NY (though it's been a minute since I saw a bottle in NY). Ezra Brooks was always in NY but not in NJ until last year and even now we just get the 90 and the rye. I could go on and on.

 

 

[EarthQuake]

I would pass on the W12 entirely, it's a lot of hassle for an okay bourbon. This stuff is not Pappy, maybe if people stop treating it as such it will be readily available again. A bottle of ER10 or CEHT Small Batch tastes better and can be found in most stores in the country. Sure at $30 W12 isn't a bad buy, but any amount of hunting for it or paying absurd secondary prices is just not worth it. 

 

I would second the recommendation for Rebel Yell 10 as well. They don't tastes much alike, that is true, but the RY10 is quite a bit better, and should be easier to find. Just my opinion of course.

 

Outside of wheaters there are many great bourbons you can find on a relatively regular basis that would make a nice gift:

 

Stagg Jr - $50 (limited)

ECBP - $60 (limited)

Four Roses Single Barrel Private Selection store picks - $50-70 (somewhat limited, depends on the area)

Blanton's - $55 (common)

CEHT Small Batch or Single Barrel - $40-70 (common)

Old Forrester 1920 - $50-60 (common)

Knob Creek Single Barrel store picks - $40 (somewhat limited, depends on the area)

Booker's - $60-70 (common)

Orphan Barrel Barterhouse 20 year - $80 (limited)

 

 

[DonutsNBourbon]

3 minutes ago, EarthQuake said:

I would pass on the W12 entirely, it's a lot of hassle for an okay bourbon. This stuff is not Pappy, maybe if people stop treating it as such it will be readily available again. A bottle of ER10 or CEHT Small Batch tastes better and can be found in most stores in the country. Sure at $30 W12 isn't a bad buy, but any amount of hunting for it or paying absurd secondary prices is just not worth it. 

 

(almost) Completely agree with this.  Actually, I've given away a few bottles of W12 as presents because of the hype and the recipients have been really grateful due to the name on the bottle instead of what's inside it.  I wouldn't pass on it if I happen to see it, I still think it's relatively good bourbon, but nothing to go crazy over.

[fishnbowljoe]

8 hours ago, EarthQuake said:

I would pass on the W12 entirely, it's a lot of hassle for an okay bourbon. This stuff is not Pappy, maybe if people stop treating it as such it will be readily available again. A bottle of ER10 or CEHT Small Batch tastes better and can be found in most stores in the country. Sure at $30 W12 isn't a bad buy, but any amount of hunting for it or paying absurd secondary prices is just not worth it. 

8 hours ago, DonutsNBourbon said:

(almost) Completely agree with this.  Actually, I've given away a few bottles of W12 as presents because of the hype and the recipients have been really grateful due to the name on the bottle instead of what's inside it.  I wouldn't pass on it if I happen to see it, I still think it's relatively good bourbon, but nothing to go crazy over.

 

 I have just one question. Have y'all had any new bottle/label Weller 12?

 

Biba! Joe

[EarthQuake]

10 hours ago, DonutsNBourbon said:

(almost) Completely agree with this.  Actually, I've given away a few bottles of W12 as presents because of the hype and the recipients have been really grateful due to the name on the bottle instead of what's inside it.  I wouldn't pass on it if I happen to see it, I still think it's relatively good bourbon, but nothing to go crazy over.

Yeah I mean that was a bit hyperbolic of me. If I went into my local store and there was a W12 for $30 I would buy it, but even WSR is allocated and put in lotteries here, it's nuts.

[EarthQuake]

1 hour ago, fishnbowljoe said:

 I have just one question. Have y'all had any new bottle/label Weller 12?

 

Biba! Joe

Yeah, new label W12, OWA and WSR. I don't think any of them are special personally. I know a lot of people disagree though.

[DonutsNBourbon]

16 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

 I have just one question. Have y'all had any new bottle/label Weller 12?

 

Biba! Joe

haha... actually no, I gave away my new bottle to a friend of mine who loves the stuff.  I just happened to stumble upon it from one of the local liquor stores I frequent, they kept it in the back.  I'll have to keep you in mind next time I see a weller, Joe