Buffalo Trace Just Unveiled a New Ultra-Luxury Whiskey and We Got a First Taste

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Once upon a time, bourbon was affordable and easy to find, but those days are mostly gone. Blame the whiskey fans who started calling it “the poor man’s Pappy” about a decade ago, after realizing that both brands were made from the same wheat mashbill after Pappy’s production was transferred at the Buffalo Trace Distillery. Last night, at a lavish event at Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York’s Hudson Valley region, Buffalo Trace unveiled the latest expression to join the Weller line, and it’s sure to become a must-have. instant collection: Weller Millennium, a blend of whiskeys. aged almost 25 years, which costs $7,500.

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Interestingly, Millennium is not a bourbon, but a blend of straight whiskeys, particularly the wheat bourbon that defines the Weller brand, combined with wheat whiskeys, all of which were distilled around the turn of the millennium ( hence the name) after everyone has cooled down. Y2K panic. The exact years these whiskeys were distilled were 2000 (three percent of the blend), 2003 (50 percent), 2005 (40 percent), and 2006 (seven percent), making that the oldest whiskey in bottle is 24 years old.

Wheat bourbon was distilled from the same mashbill as regular Weller, while wheat whiskeys contain at least 51 percent wheat in the mashbill, although master distiller Harlan Wheatley declined to give details. “We often hold back small batches of casks to continue aging beyond our brand’s usual standards, in the hope that this aging experimentation results in a particularly well-balanced and matured whisky,” he said in a statement. “In this case, we found that the whiskey distilled in 2000 had incredible balance and wondered how the wheat would perform as an ultra-aged spirit. It has proven to be an impeccable backbone of this expression, allowing us to showcase the versatility of wheat and innovate beyond traditional wheat bourbon.

I had the opportunity to try a small sample of Weller Millennium last night, along with most of the other Weller expressions to see how it compares, and it truly is a unique luxury whiskey that has its own identity. The whiskey, bottled at a high proof of 99, almost resembles an older scotch, with unusually prominent (for American whiskey) notes of tropical fruit on the palate. These are complemented by other fruits like cherry and grape, as well as a dollop of dusty leather, tobacco and dark chocolate. The oak and caramel intertwine on the finish, but the whiskey is not overly tannic. Again, this is a very different whiskey to the rest of the Weller range – as it should be, given that it’s not a blend with much older whiskey – but it’s is a good thing, and it tastes suitably old without falling into overly woodsy territory.

Of course, an expensive whiskey like this needs to come with premium packaging, and Buffalo Trace did not disappoint here. The crystal decanter is housed in a white box with a light display inside. Each bottle features a custom-made topper with an engraving of the “W” stamp that Mr. William Larue Weller himself is said to have used to indicate his approval. And at the bottom of the box, you will find the percentages indicated for each vintage used in the blend.

This is of course a very limited release that will likely exceed its already high asking price on the secondary market, but bottles should start becoming available this month. In the meantime, you can find other Weller expressions available for purchase from ReserveBar.

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