William Larue Weller Bourbon (Fall 2013)

A rich Bourbon, approximately 12 years old, bottled at 68.1% ABV. It presents a mellow beginning with notes of caramel, plum, leather, and a trace of grassy tobacco; its middle is sweet with notes of brown sugar, nuts, honey, licorice, oak, tannins, hints of dried fruit, and vanilla; leading to a long and gentle conclusion with notes of black cherry, spice, wheat, and pepper. December 2017 / July 2018 / January 2019 / July 2022

97/100* *I rate my whiskey on a 100-point scale. It's a cumulative score with each category (nose, taste, finish, and balance) worth up to 25 points. Here's how this score translates to stars: 0 stars = 50 or below 1 star = 60 2 stars = 70 3 stars = 80 4 stars = 90 5 stars = 100 The score is rounded to the nearest 1/4 star increment.

Remarkable. A warm, comforting aroma of maple sugar sweetness greets you, reminiscent of opening a bag of caramel popcorn. It permeates the entire palate, coating it with a buttery richness. Flavors of caramel, cinnamon, smoke, and oak emerge. It's rich and sweet throughout, a truly comforting bourbon. If anything surpasses this, I've yet to discover it.

From the 2012 batch... Maple sugar, caramel, and oak on the nose. Astonishingly smooth on the palate, possibly with cinnamon. Finished with very little burn considering the proof. Lived up to its reputation. One of the superior bourbons I've encountered.

Add an ice cube. Let it sit for a bit for the cube to integrate, then savor what a full-bodied wheated bourbon can truly be.

Rivals the Pappy's, but without the crazy demand. Buffalo Trace's finest, well-rounded whiskey.