Weller 12 Year is one of those bourbons that's become pretty difficult to find, especially anywhere near its roughly $50 retail price. We managed to pick up a bottle for $140, which is obviously a lot more than it should cost.
But that's part of the reason we started sharing these bottles. Splitting the cost among a group of friends gives us a chance to try whiskeys we might not normally spend that kind of money on.
And I was really looking forward to trying Weller 12.
The Tasting
This was a really enjoyable bourbon. Nice oak, vanilla, and caramel flavors, and just a well-rounded wheated bourbon. It had that familiar Buffalo Trace character, and I think just about any bourbon drinker would enjoy this one.
The 12 years of aging brought some beautiful oakiness without overpowering everything else.
As always, we tried it both neat and with ice. This time everyone agreed that neat was the way to go. At 90 proof, it was already an easy-drinking bourbon, and nobody felt it needed ice.
Everyone at the table really enjoyed this bottle.
Worth the Pour?
Did it live up to all the hype? Probably not. But I'm really glad we got to try it.
At its regular retail price, I'd buy Weller 12 again without thinking twice. It's a very good bourbon, and around $50, I think it would be a fantastic bottle to have on the shelf.
At $140, though, that's a different story.
I don't regret buying it. We got to share a bottle that isn't easy to find, and everyone enjoyed it. Plus, I'd much rather split the cost of a bottle with friends than pay $25 or more for a single ounce at a bar.
Would we buy it again? At retail, absolutely. At $140, hard pass.
I'm glad we tried it, and I'll probably continue spending more than I should on some of these bottles. That's half the fun of getting together and sharing them. But Weller 12 is one I'd only buy again if the price was a lot closer to retail.