Weller 19 Year

[mgilbertva]

We had an informal gathering at Greg's the other day with Sijan and his girlfriend, spun_cookie, and me. One of the bourbons we opened was a bottle of 2000 William Larue Weller 19yo. We tried A LOT of different bourbons, so my abilities to accurately analyze each one were, uhm compromised. I had been told the 2000 release was the worst of the 90 pf 19yr Wellers. Still, I was anxious to try it.

That being said, here's my impressions after visiting the Weller 19 again tonight:

The nose has caramel and maple. There's more going on, but no luck identifying it yet. On the palate, again, caramel and maple, but a little lighter in body, as if some OFBB '07 was mixed in. From there I get burnt caramel and dark molasses resolving into leather before it goes into the finish. At that point I picked up some light fruit - a melon like cantaloupe and a little crisp red apple. Yep, not apple pie, but fresh apple.

The finish is a little disappointing right now. It doesn't have the long, rich finish you would expect from a 19 YO whiskey. It's not bad, just not up to snuff. Plus, there's a little rickhouse wet-wood funkiness as it moves into the finish.

Other impressions were that it is a rather unique whiskey. An obviously older bourbon, not surprisingly. But I would not guess it was a wheater if I was forced to describe it in a blind tasting. The body seemed to oscillate in an odd way: different point during the time it was on my palate it gave the impression of a full- or lighter-bodied whiskey. I can't think of another way to describe it.

This is one of those bourbons I expect will get better as it breathes. I'll post updates as that happens.

[mgilbertva]

Oh, if anyone has any impressions or info on any of the Weller 19/90pfs, I love to hear it.

[cigarnv]

Very nice review Mark!! I would assume that the 19yo was a fairly limited production?

[barturtle]

Very nice review Mark!! I would assume that the 19yo was a fairly limited production?

Three years (2000, 01, 02) three batches, probably no more than 5000 bottles total, maybe even half that.

[jeff]

What I didn't like about the Weller 19yo brand was that, in all three years that I tasted, the finish was unpleasantly dry, and I would taste wood in the back of my throat for days after having a drink.

[TNbourbon]

Oh, if anyone has any impressions or info on any of the Weller 19/90pfs, I love to hear it.

I poured the bottom of a 2001 Weller 19 a couple of weeks ago. It's primary taste sensation -- to me, at least -- was walnuts:

http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showpost.php?p=122424&postcount=429

Still, your apple/caramel/maple notes about the 2000 make sense to me. I find those same impressions often in older Stitzel-Weller.

[mgilbertva]

What I didn't like about the Weller 19yo brand was that, in all three years that I tasted, the finish was unpleasantly dry, and I would taste wood in the back of my throat for days after having a drink.

It does have a dry, woody finish. But I think that is going to mellow as it gets exposed to more oxygen.

[TNbourbon]

It does have a dry, woody finish. But I think that is going to mellow as it gets exposed to more oxygen.

I don't (and I suspect Jeff doesn't, either.)

[mgilbertva]

I don't (and I suspect Jeff doesn't, either.)

I'll let you know. I'll post on this thread periodically with updates.

Still, even if it doesn't improve, I like it quite a bit - I have no complaints. And it's a unique style bourbon, which is a plus to me.

[luv2hunt]

Our bottle has been open for over a year. It's still dry! Very, very dry!

(I think it only has a couple pours left in it...can't seem to empty it!!)

Dawn

[doubleblank]

We want it to be the Holy Grail of SW whiskey. It's rare...its old.....but it just doesn't live up to our expectstions. IMHO, only the Saz 18 in its early itrations lives up to expectations. But the heart still goes wild when a Weller 19yo is seen on a shelf.

Randy

[mgilbertva]

We want it to be the Holy Grail of SW whiskey. It's rare...its old.....but it just doesn't live up to our expectstions. IMHO, only the Saz 18 in its early itrations lives up to expectations. But the heart still goes wild when a Weller 19yo is seen on a shelf.

Randy

Yes, it did.

And I agree that the '02 doesn't taste like S-W. It definitely comes across as an old whiskey.

[bobbyc]

Re: What are you drinking tonight, Spring '08

Courtesy of BobbyC, I am finishing a bottle of 2001 W.L. Weller 19yo from the Sampler just past. Though I realize it is not a favorite of Bobby, I deign to disagree -- it is a very expressive pour of vintage and well-aged Stitzel-Weller.

It doesn't hurt that the black walnut nose reminds me of the walnut trees first growing, then harvested from, the yard of my childhood farmhouse. There were many a year when we scattered the walnuts in the driveway in order that passing cars would effectively shell the nuts.

The walnuts also pass to the palate, where sweetmeat centers display just before they drying tannins provide a distracting bitterness in the finish.

Were it not for that late, tannic dryness, this would be an archetypal wheated bourbon. Still, with a touch of water -- which softens the finish, but also the main savor -- it is a fine pour.

And so, I end where I began, with great appreciation to Bobby. Many thanks.

__________________

Tim

I grabbed a few things on the way out the door to a gazebo event around the sampler and my Mellow Mash and this Weller 19 were 2 I intended to sacrifice to the gods as it were. It is extremely gratifying that it was enjoyed and got the favorable press. Thanks Tim. I think I may still also have a few walnut stains on my hands from the same hulling enterprise as a young kid.

While it is true Weller 19 was never a favorite of mine I did enjoy it at times, probably the time I will enjoy it most will be another taste sometime in the future.

[AVB]

I love the Weller 19, all three releases. I have about half a bottle of the 01 left and would give my eye teeth to find another of any of them for under $100.

[spun_cookie]

I love the Weller 19, all three releases. I have about half a bottle of the 01 left and would give my eye teeth to find another of any of them for under $100.

I would give your eye teeth as well .... what was the original $$$

[AVB]

I don't know what the list was but I paid $42.99 for it. Plus tax of course.

I would give your eye teeth as well .... what was the original $$$

[gblick]

At first tasting I thought the Weller 19 (2000 release is all I've ever tried) had perhaps spent too much time in the wood. But that was back when I had just discovered bourbon, and now I'm liking it a lot more. Could be that it's changed since the bottle's been open for a while, or that my tastes have evolved and I can now enjoy it more, or a little of both.

[nor02lei]

Personally I have tasted it from 2 bottles with the second being the 2000 at a tasting event http://www.straightbourbon.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5792&page=2 . I could not find any over woodiness tiredness or anything else that could indicate overage. On the contrary it was a positive surprise all together for me.

Leif

[TNbourbon]

A near-great/classic bottling. I love the entry and the central palate -- but the Weller 19 loses me on the finish. It gets harshly dry very quickly, and short.

In a sub-stratum, you could compare this with Maker's Mark, which I also very much enjoy until the finish -- which just stops, because it is bottled too young.

The Weller 19 would have been, I think, a classic Weller 14 or Weller 16 (what's with the odd numbers, anyway?!:skep: ).

[mgilbertva]

After having had the bottle open for some time now, it is true that it remains woody and very dry. However, those aspects have mellowed a little bit with other flavors developing: molasses, leather, menthol on the finish, a hint of charred meat, and of course, wood. I've actually become very fond of it, and would definitely buy another bottle ...

...if I ever found one. :searching:

[NorCalBoozer]

I've got a 2000 Weller 19....It a great old bottle to have but I'd be willing to trade it for something(s) that I find more interesting (2003 Stagg would be nice). You can PM if you are interested.

Greg

[gblick]

I've got a 2000 Weller 19....It a great old bottle to have but I'd be willing to trade it for something(s) that I find more interesting (2003 Stagg would be nice). You can PM if you are interested.

Greg

Contact Dawn (luv2hunt), I know she wanted one pretty badly awhile back.