Category: Whiskey
W.L. Weller 107 Antique 7 Year
In preparation for another tasting at Amherst Coffee, I’ve been doing a lot of research into American whiskies lately, most of it related to bourbon. It’s been remarkable to realize just how little I knew! Beyond the standard elements that make bourbon “bourbon” (i.e. the mashbill must contain at least 51% corn, and the whiskey must be aged in new oak barrels for two years), I really didn’t know much of anything.
In reality, there is a lot to learn about bourbons, and American whiskies in general. The problem is that if you have an occasional bourbon while mostly drinking scotch, you risk overlooking bourbon’s nuances. It’s just too easy to dismiss all bourbons as tasting the same when confronted with the wide array of flavors that different scotches display.
The reason is that most often the differences between one bourbon and the next are built on subtlety. Because the recipes for all bourbons are very similar, and the methods used to produce them (both distilling and aging) are also nearly the same, different expressions tend to draw on the same flavor profile. Common flavors repeatedly spring to mind, such as butterscotch, toffee, vanilla, honey, leather, and tobacco.
But when you can try a handful of bourbons next to one another, a whole new set of flavors emerges to accompany that core profile. With one expression there’s plums and red fruits; with the next hints of citrus and papaya; another has linseed oil, almonds, and melon; and the last presents spices, clover, and rich caramel. The entire spectrum of flavors that you are introduced to at a bourbon tasting can be spellbinding.
This began to make sense once I began to do some research. Bourbon is typically made using one of three recipe types. While laws stipulate that there must be a minimum of 51% corn, most producers are using about 75%. Corn provides for most of the sweetness and lush texture that bourbons have. After that, most recipes use about 12% barley. This lends some more body to the bourbon, while also adding enzymes to the mash that help to convert the sugars from the corn into alcohol. Lastly, the distiller can choose whether to use rye or wheat for the remaining 13%. The majority of distillers use rye, but a couple of bourbons on the market use wheat instead. Rye will add a lively spiciness to the bourbon. Wheat will smooth out and soften them, adding some depth in the process.
W.L. Weller, distilled in Frankfort, Kentucky by Buffalo Trace is one of only a few wheated bourbons on the market. The Weller is actually one of their two wheated bourbons, along with the Pappy Van Winkle collection. In fact, the Weller and Van Winkle bottlings are one of only three wheated bourbons I’ve uncovered thus far, the other being Maker’s Mark.
Ever since I first tasted the W.L. Weller 2007 Antique Bourbon I was entirely impressed. The bourbon was loaded with layers of flavor while being lusciously mellow and smooth. Since then I’ve been fortunate enough to try the Weller 10-Year Centennial bottling and the 2008 Antique bottling. Both were excellent, and amply displayed the difference between wheat versus rye when making bourbon.
This was the first time I’d had occasion to try the W.L. Weller 107 Antique 7 Year, one of the two young offerings from Weller, along with the Special Reserve 7 Year. The difference is the strength of the bottling, the Special Reserve coming in at 45%, and the 107 Antique at 53.5%. I was admittedly purchasing the bottle for purposes other than drinking straight-up, and so wanted to get something simple, but at the same time was interested in learning more about these very budget-friendly bourbons.
The result? This is a very tasty bourbon, and coincides well with my impression that bourbon has worlds more to offer than I’ve previously given it credit for. The appearance is amber gold. The nose has caramel, citrus, a bit of vanilla, a whiff of smoke, and a sweet astringency that I’ve found before in younger cognacs. The texture is soft and slightly viscous, with flavors of caramel, bittered orange peel, clove and cinnamon stick. The alcohol is hot and peppery, an indication of the whiskey’s age. The finish brings spices and a hint of caramel and simple syrup, with the alcohol leaving a slight burn. Both the palate and the finish had a slight astringency that drew attention away from the bourbon’s flavors.
In the end, this is not a bourbon that I would choose as a sipping whiskey, but for the price it would be a great one to have on hand. It would go great as a mixer in cocktails, or as a flavoring in creme brulee or whipped cream. In my case, I’m using it to soak oak cubes that I’ll later put into a maturing imperial stout. A simple way of emulating a bourbon barrel-aged beer for those of us who don’t brew 55 gallons at a time. After tasting this whiskey, I’m convinced that it’ll be the perfect bourbon to marry with a deep, dark stout.
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Sazerac 18 Year Antique Collection 2008
American whiskeys are a wholly unique expression of brown liquor. Whereas most of the world’s top-shelf whiskeys are produced using 100% malted grain, American whiskeys are made using different percentages of corn, rye, grain, and wheat. Add to this the fact that they are most often aged in new, charred wooden barrels, and the result is a spirit that is rich, viscous, and full-bodied with dominant flavors of vanilla, caramel, and honey commonly. And the warmer climates (relative to Scotland for instance) in which American whiskeys age means that they mature differently and more quickly than other spirits, allowing them to be drunk younger.
All in all, this adds up to a different set of expectations for bourbons and ryes. The stereotype for these whiskeys is that they are simpler than their Scottish counterparts, lacking complexity and the ability to age as successfully as scotch. The reality is that there are a great number of American whiskeys on the market that offer complexity to challenge the finest of scotches, and whose impressiveness as older expressions demonstrates just how well they can age.
The Antique Collection from Buffalo Trace demonstrates some of the very best expressions of American whiskeys that you can find. I’ve written earlier about the W.L. Weller Bourbon that is part of this annual series, and have been consistently impressed by the strength of character exhibited by all of the whiskeys in this series. They all demonstrate layers of complexity and depths of flavor, and are all rich, luscious whiskeys that have belied all of the stereotypes.
The only downside to the Antique Collection is just how hard it is to find them. The bottlings are all very limited, and are allocated on a very strict basis. It is not uncommon for shops to receive only one or two bottles. As a result, getting a chance to try these whiskeys can be more a product of luck and good timing than anything else. Yet the fact that all of the bottlings in the series are priced at ~$60 is a credit to Buffalo Trace and it’s decision to not pinch customers and capitalize on the series’ scarcity.
And so I was fortunate this winter when I had the opportunity to pick up a bottle each of the Sazerac Rye 18 year and the Sazerac 6 year Thomas Handy (cask strength) from the newly bottled 2008 series. The different ryes that I’ve tried in the past, most notably Black Maple Hill’s 18 year and 23 year bottlings, have all been excellent experiences. In contrast to bourbon, rye presents a more complex character on account of the greater percentage of rye in its recipe, (a minimum of 51% rye as opposed to bourbon’s minimum 51% of corn). The Black Maple Hill 18 year in particular exhibited a spicy character with notes of menthol accompanying the sweeter flavors of vanilla and caramel. What I’ve come to believe is that rye stands somewhere between the different poles of bourbon and scotch, with a flavor profile that speaks to the best of each (even to the point that some ryes evince a thread of smoky caramel akin to a good Highland scotch).
The last three years of Buffalo Trace’s 18 year Sazeracs have all been drawn from a batch that had been aging for 18 years when in 2006 they transferred it to stainless steel to maintain it in its current state. Halting the aging process at 18 years, at which point this Sazerac was winning awards (such as the Malt Advocate’s 2005 American whiskey of the year award) makes great sense. And all of the accounts that I’ve read of the different releases since then (the Malt Advocate’s John Hansell for example) have born this out.
And so the only difficult question that arose was which bottle to open first, the 18 year or the 6 year cask strength! Fortunately I had some help in the decision, and a friend and I who both favored older whiskies decided to go with the 18 year. And with a satisfying thunk we popped the cork.
The color is a crystal clear, rich red-gold. The nose has deep, enveloping aromas of banana bread, floor polish, caramel, and warm pears and apple crisp. The palate has strong notes of vanilla and toffee up front that give way to spiciness and salted caramel. The palate is distinctly dry and oaky, giving you a real sense of the 18 years in oak. The texture is surprisingly light (this is bottled at 45%), but the flavors leave a strong impression on your palate. The finish is resinous and oaky, with the polish from the nose returning, after which it trails off into an impression of red berries that linges on and on.
This is a fabulously enticing rye. The bourbons from the Antique Collection that I’ve had have all been stellar, but this 18 year Sazerac is another beast entirely. Where those have been luscious and bold, this is more reserved. It opens up more slowly, but ultimately brings additional complexity and nuance to the table. The nose, palate, and finish all had their own unique character, each demonstrating the different personalities of this one whiskey.
On the whole I’d say that this is a great rye to have on hand, and that you shouldn’t hesitate to give it a try if you have the chance. I particularly am of the opinion that this is the type of American whiskey that could change an adamant scotch drinker’s mind, and open them up to the possibilities to be found in ryes and bourbons. So do your scotch-drinking friends a favor, and introduce them to this Sazerac 18 year rye.
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W.L. Weller Antique Collection 2007
About a year ago I was fortunate enough to be offered a tasting of a W.L. Weller cask-strength bourbon from Buffalo Trace’s Antique Collection. I’d had Weller before, but only in their no-age-statement basic bottling (notably a great bargain at $14) and had found it be pretty good for a low-end bourbon. And while I’ve been intrigued by bourbon for quite awhile now, I hadn’t yet been excited enough to pursue it with much emphasis.
So I wasn’t prepared for how incredible that tasting of the Weller cask-strength was going to be. So much flavor literally exploding in your mouth, the aroma just jumping out of the glass. Classic bourbon flavors of butterscotch, vanilla, and caramel, but amplified many times over.
Since then I’ve kept my eyes open for a bottle of Weller from the Antique Collection. The thing is, all of the bottlings in the Antique Collection are very rare and hard to find. So when I recently happened across one, I didn’t hesitate to take a chance on it. And now, having tasted it a couple of times since opening it, it’s clear that it was worth the wait.
This bottle is from the 2007 Antique Collection. It’s a 10-year old bourbon bottled at cask-strength (although I don’t believe it is a single-cask) at 58.95%, and is unfiltered. Weller is unusual from most bourbons in that it is what is referred to as a wheated bourbon. All bourbons must contain a minimum of 51% corn, but the remainder is often a blend of differing amounts of rye, barley, and wheat, and additional corn. In the case of the Weller, wheat makes up the largest component of that additional 49%. The result is a bourbon that lacks the spicy character that rye provides, but amply makes up for it by creating a voluptuous backdrop against which the bourbon’s flavors play out.
The Weller is the color of lustrous, deep gold. The nose speaks volumes: browned butter, caramel, vanilla, butterscotch, and a hint of raspberries. The palate is amazingly rich with layers of sweet vanillas and caramels, and a slight smokiness. The wheat character provides a great canvas for all of these flavors with a mouth-coating butteriness that is the foundation for the finish that just drags on and on. The layers of flavor give way to a distinct vanilla and smoke character on the finish that is really quite spellbinding. Interestingly, for a 58% bourbon, this needs no water at all. It is incredibly smooth.
The most amazing thing to me about this bourbon is that the three separate components, the nose, palate, and finish are all spellbinding in their own right. Each step is a great experience, making the Weller just a fabulous bourbon start to finish. You could even add the beautiful color of the bourbon to that matrix if you wanted to.
In sum, this is one helluva bourbon. The 2008 Antique Collection just came out, so it must be time to start keeping my eyes peeled once again.
A note about the Antique Collection: Each Fall Buffalo Trace Distillery releases the Antique Collection, their collection of special one-off bottlings of rare whiskies. Each year this includes the W.L. Weller Cask Strength, George T. Stagg (also cask strength, and often in the 17 year range), Eagle Rare (usually in the 18 year range), Sazerac Rye (usually in the 18 year range), and Sazerac Thomas Handy (a young, cask strength rye). The bottles are always quite limited, very hard to find, and very good. The Malt Advocate reviews of them rarely go much below an 88, and that is rare. Most usually get a score in the 90s.
I’ve tried the Stagg, which was a 17 year bourbon bottled at 72%. It was, needless to say, staggering in many respects. I enjoyed the Weller more on account of its greater smoothness and drinkability, but the Stagg was quite remarkable. I’ve also tried the Eagle Rare 18 year, which was quite good, but I was not overly impressed. Realistically though, this was in a tasting scenario that I don’t believe did the bourbon justice.
Oh, and they are all incredible values, usually priced by Buffalo Trace in the $60 range.
Basically, these are all reliably great whiskies, and well worth the trouble of making some effort to find.
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