Weller Full Proof Bourbon

I acquired a bottle of Weller Full Proof, via a trade with a fellow Bourbon enthusiast. It's one of those bottles that has proven fairly elusive over the past three years. So I was thrilled to be able to finally get my hands on one... I put this Full Proof up against Weller Antique 107 tonight. The Antique took top honors, and has earned the title of, "My Favorite Weller Bottle". But this Full Proof is no slouch. I have deemed it, "Antique 107 with a higher alcohol profile". This thing is a caramel bomb on the palate, with more of an ethenol presence on the nose than the Antique. After the head-to-head was completed, I switched over to the Full Proof to end the night, and I am digging it. All said, this was well worth the wait in acquiring. If you can find it at SRP, you'd be a fool to not grab it. But don't pay more than that. I was lucky to get it via a trade. But there's no way I would pay secondary market price gouging prices for it. I have found that no bottle is worth paying double, triple, or even quadruple SRP.

Finally taking delivery of my very own bottle of Weller Full Proof, I was all too excited to try my first taste. Typical of a good high proof bourbon, the nose is full of sweet with ethanol heat. Vanilla and cinnamon dance with caramel. Not an overly complex nose but it does seem to hint at the taste to come. Full proof definitely packs a tongue tingling punch. Vanilla opens the taste which explodes with baking spices, tannic oak and a odd tartness about it. It isn't necessarily fruity but maybe tastes a bit like under ripened cherries. The finish pushes towards the dry side. Again, hot cinnamon prickles your tongue and tannic oak and leather take center stage but as they fade, just a little bit of a milk chocolate after taste pushes down the last bit of finish. Weller Full Proof is certainly unique and a hot one. Maybe just a tad too hot, if Weller 12 is your idea of a perfect bourbon.

Got a crazy deal on a store pick of this and Eagle Rare. This was like $69 👃 Actually only 114 proof. Need to do a side by side with Weller 107. Nose hotter than expected. Wheaty as expected. Maybe some sweet grass or green onion. 👄 The 114 proof (low for full proof in general) is more obvious on the pallate. Some of that different grassy flavor, but I guess that's just what happens to the wheat after aging this long. Generally just sweet and easy on the tounge 🏁 The exhale is nothing special, but the the mouthfeel lingers and might be the highlight of the experience.

Color: Deep copper. Nose: Soft fudge, spun sugar. Aromatic vanilla and warm caramels. Palate: Maple syrup and brown sugar set the tone, with more of the sugary cotton candy notes. Very slight mineral tinge. Finish: Long and slow, with a warmth that really develops as you sit with it. Still a little mineralic (but not unpleasantly so). Diluted: Some sweet maraschino cherry but still largely warm baked goods -- toffee springs forward. The palate is sprightlier and fruitier, with a juicy, delicate finish.

Received a sample from a friend. Glass: Glencairn, rested 15 minutes. Color: Medium-dark amber. Nose: Caramel, apples, some nutty notes. Palate: Clove and cinnamon red hots. Finish: Very warm and very long. Splash: Some oaky tannins and the nutty note from the nose appear. Overall: 9/10 - This is a seriously hyped bottle (and a store pick at that) that actually lives up to the hype. At MSRP, it would be an instant buy, I just need to win a store lottery first. The long finish is the clear winner here.

Tried at a bar. NEAT NOSE - Raspberries, Grape, Strawberries, Honey, and Caramel PALATE - The grape and raspberry are the first to hit your palate and it transitions to the strawberry and into a finish of honey and caramel. Beautifully complex, rich, smooth, and sweet. FINISH - Sweet honey and caramel. Long BUY? - Absolutely! Especially at SRP but despite how great this is, I’d struggle to pay today’s secondary rates for this.