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W.L. Weller Special Reserve spirit image
83

W.L. Weller Special Reserve

  • Distiller

    Buffalo Trace

  • Bottler

    Buffalo Trace

  • ABV

    45%

  • Age

    NAS

  • Price $60 to $99.99

This is the lower most entry in Buffalo Traces Weller line of expressions - wheated bourbons sold under the William Larue Weller (and various permutations) name.

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  • Raided Score: 82
  • The Whiskey Jug
  • By Josh Peters
  • It’s not one I want in my glass everyday and when compared to it’s bigger brother the 107 and it’s pappy the 12 it comes across as unimpressive and a tad unbalanced. Though at only $17 a bottle it’s a good thing to keep around for great cocktails.
  • Read Full Review
  • Raided Score: 92
  • WhiskyCast
  • By Mark Gillespie
  • Adding a few drops of water will boost the honey sweetness at first and add a touch of straw while settling down the cinnamon just a bit.
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  • Raided Score: 82
  • Whisky Advocate
  • By Fred Minnick
  • Enjoy the short bursts of crème brulee, praline, honey, Jolly Rancher watermelon candy, and a hint of nutmeg, because it’s not there long. You can see the potential.
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  • Raided Score: 85
  • Breaking Bourbon
  • By Nick
  • Plain and simple, Weller Special Reserve is a pleasant, above average bourbon with a sweet flavor profile that is distributed with a reasonable MSRP.
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  • Raided Score: 75
  • The Daily Pour
  • By t8ke
  • The heat and cinnamon forward formula would make this a nice complement to many classic cocktail recipes, given the budget pricing, as well.
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Raided Score is a conversion from an external site's score, to our in house uniform scoring system. Please see the FAQ for more.

  • Nose:

    Cinnamon, clove, red hot candies. Ethanol. Faint caramel.

  • Taste:

    Thin, hot cinnamon. Clove, pepper, faint oak. Bitter with mild astringency.

  • Finish:

    Short, hot. Cinnamon, faint caramel. Really one dimensional.

  • Overall:

    Overall, this is clearly young, and a bit too hot. A one noted profile also cripples it in comparison to other wheated bourbons I have tried and enjoyed. I would put this on par with Larceny and Old Fitzgerald Prime, but dont find it as good as Old Fitzgerald Bottled in Bond. The heat and cinnamon forward formula would make this a nice complement to many classic cocktail recipes, given the budget pricing, as well.

  • Score:

    75

  • By t8ke
  • Our in house critic rates spirits on a scale of 0-10 (10 best) and is aggregated the same as external sources