Weller 12yr specialty bottling from Binny's

[sharkman]

Anybody have any experience with the Weller 12yr Binny's is selling as hand selected? This is what they say on their website:

Weller 12yr Old Bourbon

One of the greatest values in Bourbon, soft, smooth, and sweet as you would expect of a 'wheated' bourbon, with the depth and complexity of 12 years in wood. We've recently started hand selecting casks for all of the Weller 12yr we sell.

I thought the Weller 12yr was vatted? Anybody (Chuck?) ever try this? They are selling it @ $16.99/bottle.

[cowdery]

I wouldn't use the term "vatted" because, in Scottish parlance, that refers to a mixture of single malts from multiple distilleries. What you are referring to is "not single barrel" and normally Weller 12 is "not single barrel." Does this, in fact, mean that Binny's is selling a single barrel version of Weller 12? I can't say for sure (maybe Ken Weber will chime in) but the fact that Binny's isn't saying that, and is using terminolgy that they should know gives us as consumers at best incomplete information, keeps me from jumping to that conclusion. What does it mean? Why speculate? Ask them.

[Bourbaki_Bourbon]

Anybody have any experience with the Weller 12yr Binny's is selling as hand selected?

I shared a bottle of this with my parents a few weeks ago. Great stuff. My folks seemed to like at least as much as their favortie, which is Buffalo Trace. Very good value for the money.

[Ken Weber]

The Weller 12 in question is in fact a single barrel selection made by Brett. He (and Joe) have selected a number of barrels over the years and they were looking for something no one else had. So... they asked about a single barrel of Weller 12 and we agreed. I was there when the barrels were tasted and 2 of the barrels were just unbelievable!

The folks from Sam's, not to be outdone, selected a barrel of Rock Hill Farms and Hancock's, then requested that they not be chill filtered. I believe you may still be able to get them at Spirits@Samswine.com.

Ken

[Bourbaki_Bourbon]

The latest bottle of Weller 12 I bought from Binny's (a week ago) had (IIRC) a somewhat different gold sticker on it that was explicit about the contents coming from a single barrel.

[Ken Weber]

I would like to know what you think of this special selection of Weller 12. Have you ever tried our regular Weller 12?

Ken

[Bourbaki_Bourbon]

Ken, I've only purchased the Weller 12 through the Binny's in Naperville, the first time being only this Feburary I believe, and it's always had the gold sticker on it. When it was out of stock a few weeks back, I took the opportunity to buy the Elmer T. Lee instead (also Binny's special selection). The extra richness of the ETL was immediately clear. It was oilier too which makes it go down even smoother. The next bottle of Weller 12 I purchased seemed brassy in comparision to the ETL; it seemed to hit all the treble notes while being lacking in the bass (like a string quartet without the cello... if I can resort to a musical metaphor here).

As a treat, with my brother in town from VA, I got a bottle of the Eagle Rare 10yr SB (yet again with that gold sticker on it*) just yesterday. Haven't sampled it enough myself yet to say much about it myself in how it compares to the others (and I should do a side-by-side sometime), though my brother commented right away about how oaky it seemed to him (postively rather than negatively I think).

But I guess you're most interested in hearing how the Binny's special selection Weller 12 compares to the regular offering, and I can't offer any input there.

Ken, I am very glad Buffalo Trace has such an amazing lineup of fine bourbons sold by Binny's!

*EDIT: actually silver this time.

[Ken Weber]

Glad to read your comments. The danger of selling a single barrel of bourbon is that it is difficult to maintain the taste profile. If it is a single barrel, like Elmer or Eagle Rare SB, it is easier becasue we pre-select the barrels and let the customer pick their favorite. For a product that consists of 100 barrels, there will be some variability among the barrels.

By the way, speaking of the Elmer T. Lee, he is currently downstairs talking with my wife. I am at the distillery this evening (Saturday around 7:00) to host a dinner for University of Louisville athletic director, Tom Jurich. Since Elmer graduated from the University of Kentucky, I am going to have sit between the two so he does not create any disturbances.

Ken

[Bourbaki_Bourbon]

So did Elmer behave last night, Ken?

I would need to do a side-by-side with ERSB, W12, and ETL sometime to make sure my memory isn't playing tricks on me. ERSB is perhaps a bit woodier than I would have as an ideal. However, my brother liked that aspect of it a lot. Unfortunately, he's gone back to a control state, VA ("communist", as he calls it).

[Ken Weber]

The dinner was very interesting. Elmer sat next to the U of L athletic director and his wife, the very lovely TerriLynn. I explained that Elmer was a UK graduate, so all night long Tom kept saying, "Elmer, go Cards!" After about the 10th time, Tom would say, "Elmer" and before he could go any further Elmer would reply "Go cards." Afterwards Elmer would take a sip of bourbon. It seems he had to wash his mouth out each time he uttered the unthinkable!

Ken

[bourbonmed]

Ken,

Any word on the long awaited redesign of the Weller 12 bottle?

Thx,

Omar

[Ken Weber]

I have learned that while patience may be a virtue, waiting for a glass manufacturer is &^%$#@! frustrating!!! I received the unit samples for both the 1.75L and the liter. Both were completely wrong. This after we gave them the drawings and the Lucite's (mocked up samples poured from a heavy plastic). They are currently making new unit sample molds and have not given me a revised time line. This project has taken nearly 2 years. As we get closer to the end, I feel more and more like the bourbon gods are messing with me. Remember the Greek who was placed in water up to his lips but was not allowed to drink and was dying of thirst (Tantulus?). I feel his pain! I will keep you advised.

Ken