William Larue Weller is made from Buffalo Trace's wheated mash bill, where wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain alongside corn and malted barley. The 2023 release was distilled in the spring of 2011, entered the barrel at 114 proof, and aged about 12.5 years in Warehouses C, L, M, and N before bottling uncut and unfiltered at 133.6 proof, the highest the brand had reached at that point. The wheated recipe is the same one behind the Weller and Pappy Van Winkle lines.

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Why is the 2023 William Larue Weller proof so high?

The 2023 release reached 133.6 proof (66.8% ABV), the highest strength in the brand's history at release, surpassing the 2022 bottling's 124.7 proof. It is bottled uncut and unfiltered, so the figure reflects how the wheated bourbon matured rather than any added strength; it entered the barrel at 114 proof. The 2023 was distilled in the spring of 2011 and aged about 12.5 years.

What is a wheated bourbon, and how does Weller use it?

A wheated bourbon uses wheat instead of rye as the secondary grain alongside corn and malted barley, which tends to give a softer, rounder profile. William Larue Weller is the uncut, unfiltered, barrel-strength version of Buffalo Trace's wheated recipe, the same mash family behind the Weller and Pappy Van Winkle lines. Buffalo Trace does not publish the exact grain percentages.