Buffalo Trace reveals Weller Millennium, a $7,500 ultra-aged whiskey

On Thursday, Buffalo Trace Distillery added a unique bottling to its portfolio: Weller Millennium, an ultra-aged wheat whiskey distilled at the turn of the 21st century.

The whiskey is a blend of straight bourbon and wheat whiskeys distilled in 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2006, all aged at the brand’s distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky. According to a press release, the debut was a time of change for the brand, which inspired its distilling team to look to the past. To pay homage to WL Weller, the original wheated bourbon brand, they explicitly reserved some of the first whiskeys distilled in the new millennium to formulate this release.

“In the 1840s, William Larue Weller created a legendary legacy by being one of the first to use wheat as an ingredient, making Weller the world’s original wheat bourbon,” said Andrew Duncan, global director of the Buffalo Trace Distillery brand in the release. “Having patiently waited for these exceptional whiskeys to reach our standard, we are pleased to present Weller Millennium as the pinnacle expression of the brand. This world-class expression captures the spirit of the incredible optimism felt at the turn of the millennium, while charting a path into the future as a world-renowned wheat brand.

The first four distillations represent 3 percent, 50 percent, 40 percent and 7 percent of the mixture, respectively. According to the brand, Weller Millennium highlights wheat’s influences on whiskey flavor, with the grain imparting a smoother, gentler and perhaps more approachable spirit.

“As we constantly seek to make the best whiskey in the world, we often hold back small batches of casks to continue aging beyond our brand’s usual standards, in the hope that this aging experimentation will result in a particularly balanced whiskey and matured,” Harlen Wheatley, master distiller of Buffalo Trace Distillery, said in the release. “In this case, we found the whiskey distilled in 2000 to have 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.

On the nose, the brand claims that Weller Millennium conveys strong notes of caramel and toffee due to years of contact with oak barrels during maturation. There are also subtle fruity aromas, with hints of fig and raisin and a whisper of stone fruit throughout. A similar palate follows with sweet caramel notes before finishing with a notable oak influence.

Bottled at 99 proof (49.5 percent ABV), the whiskey is housed in a handmade crystal decanter closed with a bespoke crystal decoration hand-engraved with the brand’s original “W” stamp Weller. The bottle is packaged in a lighted presentation box which shows the exact percentages of the whiskey blend.

Weller Millennium will be released in limited quantities in the United States and global distributor networks, and will ship to retailers, bars and restaurants in June 2024 for a suggested retail price of $7,500.