Weller Special Reserve Bourbon

Weller Special Reserve Nose: Dry Oak and Cedar, Walnut Shells, Vanilla, Straw, Hints of Leather. Gets Savory and a little Richer with time. BBQ Sauce? Neat: Thinnish Mouthfeel, Light Vanilla Sweetness, Walnut, Leather, Drying Oak. Pencil Shavings? Easy smooth finish with mild KYHug. There’s Pencil Shaving and Light Leather that lingers and coats the palate. Splash: Water brings out some extra Sweetness up front, but adds Bitterness to the backend. Better neat. Verdict: Very good budget bourbon if you can find it at MSRP. Definitely a slight step up from Heaven Hill and Beam’s entry level Wheated bourbons. You can taste the higher end Weller roots, just muted. Recently available in NC, but I’ve yet to actually see a bottle, so decided I’d try a pour while enjoying the best Fish Tacos on the planet @ Loco Jo’s. Will definitely buy again (both Bourbon and Tacos). 3.75

Can’t find much to argue with from my previous note (4/23/25). Context is everything: I’m coming to this after reviewing a 2021 Rhys Chardonnay Santa Cruz Mountains. Against that backdrop, the contrast puts the dissimilarity of the bourbon in sharp contrast, enabling clearer insight into its specifics. WSR is all about fruitiness: cherries, raisin paste, red grapes, and yes, the same Bazooka bubble gum note. The requisite caramel and vanilla notes are also in attendance. Again, the 90 proof is disproportionately large in terms of balance. Pleasant—too light for cocktails, but nice in a sailor-having-a-girl-in-every-port variety sort of way. I’d buy it again when you can find it close to its retail price; unlike other BT offerings, there’s.no reason to overpay for this.

Doing a side by side with Weller Full Proof. I'll compare. Seems like same mash bill and age duration, they will be too similar to justify the price difference. 90 proof vs 114 👃 Similar on the nose. Just a little more approachable on the nose at the lower price. I'm getting a little cinnamon with the wheatyness 👄 Nothing too exciting. If you like sweet wheat mashbills, this is what I see as the default. Anything else is 'Like Weller, but ..' 🏁 Like the full proof, the exhale isn't great, but the linger on the pallate is very nice. Mostly the same flavors. Little bit of greenery

Haven’t touched this since my last review (12/28/23). Fruity nose with cherries, sweet red grapes, vanilla, and a Bazooka bubble gum note. Light viscosity on the palate. Finishes with a Kentucky Hug which is disproportionate to the 90 proof. This is the lowest rung of the Weller lineup; not as polished as its elder brethren. Too low a proof for cocktails, and too young and disjointed as a sipper. But would I buy it again? At the right price, yes, if for no other reason than to compare it against the rest of the Weller lineup. 3.75 on the Distiller scale.

Nose: The classic Buffalo Trace vanilla/cherry/grape combo Palate: Soft vanilla and a hint of oak that quickly transitions to baking spices Finish: Short as those lingering baking spices disappear as fast as they came The core offering in the Weller line, this bourbon emphasizes the softness of a wheated mash bill. While simple in profile it's a more refined pour compared to other similar bottles from other distilleries.

I found this at MSRP sitting on the shelf in Bowling Green, KY with a dozen other copies, so is the bourbon craze over?? Nose: caramel, butterscotch, young, thin Taste: baking spices, hints of cherry Finish: short Makers 46 is still significantly better than this at a cheaper price point, but glad to grab a bottle of this again for the first time in seven years or so? It’s been awhile, but I definitely havent missed much.