There are bottles you admire from a distance, and then there are bottles that stop you mid-pour because you know exactly what you're holding. The William Larue Weller 2007, bottled in 2019 after twelve years in Kentucky warehouses, is firmly in the second camp. This is part of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection — the annual release that sends bourbon collectors into a frenzy — and the Weller line's flagship barrel-proof offering. At 64% ABV, it lands with serious authority.
For those unfamiliar, the Weller range is built on a wheated mashbill. Where most bourbons use rye as their secondary grain alongside corn and malted barley, the Weller recipes swap in wheat. That single change shifts the entire character of the spirit. Rye brings spice and bite; wheat brings softness and a rounder, more approachable body. Now age that wheated distillate for twelve years in charred American oak, bottle it without chill-filtration or water added, and you get something that's simultaneously powerful and dangerously drinkable for its proof.
At 64% ABV, this is not a casual sipper — at least not without a few drops of water. Barrel-proof bourbon at this strength carries the full weight of over a decade of Kentucky summers and winters, those temperature swings pushing spirit deep into the oak char and pulling it back out again. Twelve years is a generous maturation for bourbon, where the climate does in a decade what Scottish warehouses might take two or three decades to achieve. The result is deep colour, heavy oak influence, and a concentration of flavour that water dilution only seems to expand rather than diminish.
Tasting Notes
I'll be honest — rather than fabricate specifics, I'd rather you experience this one yourself. What I can tell you is that wheated bourbons at this age and proof typically deliver rich caramel, baked fruit, vanilla, and a warmth that coats without burning. The wheat softens what could otherwise be an aggressive barrel-proof experience. Add water slowly and let each sip open up on its own terms.
The Verdict
At around £2,000, this is obviously not an everyday pour. You're paying for scarcity, pedigree, and the fact that the Antique Collection releases have become some of the most hunted bottles in American whiskey. Is it worth it? That depends on what you value. As a drinking experience, it's outstanding — a 12-year-old barrel-proof wheated bourbon from one of Kentucky's most respected distilleries is always going to deliver. The 2007 vintage bottled in 2019 represents a specific snapshot of warehouse conditions and barrel selection that can never be replicated. I'm giving this an 8.4 out of 10. It's an exceptional bourbon that loses a fraction only because the secondary market price has detached somewhat from what's in the glass. If you find it at retail, buy two.
Best Served
Pour it neat in a Glencairn or wide-bottomed rocks glass and add water — a few drops at a time, seriously — until the alcohol heat softens and the flavour fully opens. At 64% ABV, water isn't optional, it's part of the experience. If you're feeling bold, this would make an absurdly luxurious Old Fashioned: a sugar cube, two dashes of Angostura, a large ice cube, and an ounce and a half of this Weller. The wheated sweetness means you can go lighter on the sugar than you would with a rye-heavy bourbon. But honestly, at this price, I'd keep it in the glass and savour every drop.
