Old Weller Antique - Taste Above its Price

Old Weller Antique  (Original 107 Brand) Bourbon proves that sometimes, you get more than what you pay for.

Don't let the plastic cap (no pretentious cork here) fool you. The 107-proof whiskey inside compares well with brands that cost significantly more at your local liquor store.

Weller is a brand that has moved around a lot over the years. Currently, Weller is owned by the Sazerac Company, the largest distiller in the US. The Weller whiskies are among the dizzying array of bourbons pouring out of the  Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.

The bottle comes with no age statement, but the Buffalo Trace Website claims that Old Weller Antique is aged 7 years. At 107 proof, it's effectively cask strength.

Old Weller Antique's claim to distinctiveness is the amount of wheat used in the grain bill of the mash.

Since it's a bourbon, by law the grain bill has to be at least 51% corn - it can be more. In most bourbons, the non-corn portion is filled out with rye and barley.

Old Weller is one of a class of bourbons that replace the rye with wheat. These bourbons lose the spicy, peppery counterpoint of rye and replace it with the softer, sweeter flavors that come from wheat.

In the glass, Old Weller Antique is  lovely medium amber. The nose is sweetish with hints of vanilla and subdued alcohol, but otherwise simply says: "I'm bourbon."

Sipped straight, it has a medium heavy mouthfeel. It's sweet, with caramel and vanilla notes. The sweet fades to a pleasant alcohol burn that is far less pronounced that the 53.5% alcohol content would lead you to expect. In turn, the burn fades to a long, lingering glow featuring sweet flavors balanced with oaky spiciness.

Add a good splash of water, and the alcohol disappears from the nose, replaced by caramel.  The flavor palate changes some: the corn sweetness and wheat sweetness become discernible as separate flavors amidst the caramel and vanilla, the oak notes become more pronounced,  and the alcohol burn diminishes. The finish loses some potency, fading quickly to a subdued sweet glow on the taste buds that lingers a little and then disappears.

Is this my absolute favorite bourbon? No - but it's damn good, and to my taste buds, better than the most famous American mass market whiskeys and some of the ultrapremium bourbons (such as Knob Creek) and as good as some others (such as Basil Hayden's).

The kicker is the price. As I write this, Old Weller Antique is running between $20 and $28 a bottle, depending on locale. Regardless of locale, it's $5-$15 less per bottle than bourbons I consider to be in the same taste class.

If you like bourbon, you definitely need to give Old Weller Antique a try. Priced where it is, it makes for a great, no guilt, every day sipping whiskey. It's got a permanent home on my bar.