W.L. WELLER — BRAND
W.L. Weller is Buffalo Trace's line of wheated bourbon — the recipe that uses wheat in place of rye as the grain alongside corn, for a softer, sweeter character. Named for the 19th-century distiller William Larue Weller, the range runs from the 90-proof Special Reserve and 107-proof Antique to the barrel-proof William Larue Weller of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and it shares its wheated mash bill with the Pappy Van Winkle line. This page gathers the Weller expressions in the vault, each linked to its own page.
- Produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
- A wheated bourbon: wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain after corn, for a softer, sweeter profile than rye-based bourbon.
- Named for William Larue Weller (born 1825), who pioneered the wheated recipe and founded W.L. Weller & Brothers in 1849.
- Shares its wheated mash bill with the Pappy Van Winkle line.
- Standard range: Special Reserve (90 proof), Antique 107 (107 proof), Single Barrel (97 proof), C.Y.P.B. (95 proof) and Full Proof (114 proof, non-chill filtered).
- The 18 Year is a straight wheat whiskey — wheat as the primary grain, not a bourbon.
- William Larue Weller is the only wheated bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, bottled uncut at barrel proof.
- Per-release proof and age are confirmed on each product page.
William Larue Weller (born 1825) is credited with pioneering the wheated bourbon recipe — using wheat in place of rye as the grain alongside corn, which rounds the spice into a softer, sweeter character. He founded W.L. Weller & Brothers in 1849. Today the brand is distilled at Buffalo Trace and shares its wheated mash bill with the Pappy Van Winkle wheated bourbons.
Weller spans proofs and formats from one mash bill. Special Reserve (90 proof) is the entry; Antique 107 (107 proof) gives the wheated recipe at strength; Single Barrel (97 proof) and C.Y.P.B. (95 proof) are single-barrel releases; Full Proof (114 proof) is bottled at its barrel-entry proof and non-chill filtered. Above the standard range sit the 18-year straight wheat whiskey and William Larue Weller, the barrel-proof wheated bourbon of the Antique Collection.
The Expressions
The full lineup, grouped by type — each bottle links to its own page:
| Core Wheated Bourbon | |
| Special Reserve | Wheated bourbon · 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Antique 107 | Wheated bourbon · 107 proof (53.5% ABV) · no age statement |
| Single Barrel & Full Proof | |
| Single Barrel | Wheated bourbon · 97 proof (48.5% ABV) · single barrel |
| C.Y.P.B. | Wheated bourbon · 95 proof (47.5% ABV) · annual single-barrel release |
| Full Proof | Wheated bourbon · 114 proof (57% ABV) · entry proof, non-chill filtered |
| Rare & Antique Collection | |
| W.L. Weller 18 Year | Straight wheat whiskey · 18-year age statement |
| William Larue Weller (2025) | Wheated bourbon · barrel proof, uncut · 129 proof (64.5% ABV) · Antique Collection |
Every bottle above links to its own page. Browse the Buffalo Trace distillery collection and the full Antique Collection.
Collector Note
Weller is highly sought after and released in limited quantities each year. Antique 107 (often abbreviated OWA) and Full Proof are favorites for the wheated recipe at strength, while C.Y.P.B., the 18-year wheat whiskey and the annual William Larue Weller arrive in small allocations. Because single-barrel and barrel-proof releases vary, the specific batch, proof and age matter.
Production Methodology
Weller is made from Buffalo Trace's wheated mash bill — corn with wheat as the secondary grain in place of rye — distilled and aged in new charred American oak in Frankfort, Kentucky. The same recipe underlies the Pappy Van Winkle line. Standard expressions range from Special Reserve at 90 proof to Full Proof at 114 (bottled at its barrel-entry proof, non-chill filtered); William Larue Weller is bottled uncut and unfiltered at barrel proof (129 proof in the 2025 release, aged about 14 years). The 18-year expression is a straight wheat whiskey, with wheat as the primary grain. Exact proof and age vary by release and are confirmed on each bottle's page.
Authentication & Vault Preservation
Every Weller bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authorized, authentic retailer, vault-stored and insured, shipped with protective handling and age-verified 21-and-over signature on delivery, and authenticated by our concierge before it ships. For the details, see how we confirm each bottle is genuine, vault storage and concierge service, and the sourcing standards we follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is W.L. Weller bourbon?
W.L. Weller is Buffalo Trace's line of wheated bourbon, made with wheat in place of rye as the secondary grain after corn — a recipe that gives a softer, sweeter character than rye-based bourbon. It is named for William Larue Weller (born 1825), the 19th-century distiller credited with pioneering wheated bourbon, and it shares its mash bill with the Pappy Van Winkle line.
What are the W.L. Weller expressions?
The standard range is Special Reserve (90 proof), Antique 107 (107 proof, no age statement), Single Barrel (97 proof), C.Y.P.B. (95 proof) and Full Proof (114 proof, bottled at entry proof and non-chill filtered). Above them sit the W.L. Weller 18 Year — a straight wheat whiskey rather than a bourbon — and William Larue Weller, the only wheated bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, bottled uncut at barrel proof (129 proof in 2025).
W.L. Weller is Buffalo Trace's line of wheated bourbon — the recipe that uses wheat in place of rye as the grain alongside corn, for a softer, sweeter character. Named for the 19th-century distiller William Larue Weller, the range runs from the 90-proof Special Reserve and 107-proof Antique to the barrel-proof William Larue Weller of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, and it shares its wheated mash bill with the Pappy Van Winkle line. This page gathers the Weller expressions in the vault, each linked to its own page.
- Produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky.
- A wheated bourbon: wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain after corn, for a softer, sweeter profile than rye-based bourbon.
- Named for William Larue Weller (born 1825), who pioneered the wheated recipe and founded W.L. Weller & Brothers in 1849.
- Shares its wheated mash bill with the Pappy Van Winkle line.
- Standard range: Special Reserve (90 proof), Antique 107 (107 proof), Single Barrel (97 proof), C.Y.P.B. (95 proof) and Full Proof (114 proof, non-chill filtered).
- The 18 Year is a straight wheat whiskey — wheat as the primary grain, not a bourbon.
- William Larue Weller is the only wheated bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, bottled uncut at barrel proof.
- Per-release proof and age are confirmed on each product page.
William Larue Weller (born 1825) is credited with pioneering the wheated bourbon recipe — using wheat in place of rye as the grain alongside corn, which rounds the spice into a softer, sweeter character. He founded W.L. Weller & Brothers in 1849. Today the brand is distilled at Buffalo Trace and shares its wheated mash bill with the Pappy Van Winkle wheated bourbons.
Weller spans proofs and formats from one mash bill. Special Reserve (90 proof) is the entry; Antique 107 (107 proof) gives the wheated recipe at strength; Single Barrel (97 proof) and C.Y.P.B. (95 proof) are single-barrel releases; Full Proof (114 proof) is bottled at its barrel-entry proof and non-chill filtered. Above the standard range sit the 18-year straight wheat whiskey and William Larue Weller, the barrel-proof wheated bourbon of the Antique Collection.
The Expressions
The full lineup, grouped by type — each bottle links to its own page:
| Core Wheated Bourbon | |
| Special Reserve | Wheated bourbon · 90 proof (45% ABV) |
| Antique 107 | Wheated bourbon · 107 proof (53.5% ABV) · no age statement |
| Single Barrel & Full Proof | |
| Single Barrel | Wheated bourbon · 97 proof (48.5% ABV) · single barrel |
| C.Y.P.B. | Wheated bourbon · 95 proof (47.5% ABV) · annual single-barrel release |
| Full Proof | Wheated bourbon · 114 proof (57% ABV) · entry proof, non-chill filtered |
| Rare & Antique Collection | |
| W.L. Weller 18 Year | Straight wheat whiskey · 18-year age statement |
| William Larue Weller (2025) | Wheated bourbon · barrel proof, uncut · 129 proof (64.5% ABV) · Antique Collection |
Every bottle above links to its own page. Browse the Buffalo Trace distillery collection and the full Antique Collection.
Collector Note
Weller is highly sought after and released in limited quantities each year. Antique 107 (often abbreviated OWA) and Full Proof are favorites for the wheated recipe at strength, while C.Y.P.B., the 18-year wheat whiskey and the annual William Larue Weller arrive in small allocations. Because single-barrel and barrel-proof releases vary, the specific batch, proof and age matter.
Production Methodology
Weller is made from Buffalo Trace's wheated mash bill — corn with wheat as the secondary grain in place of rye — distilled and aged in new charred American oak in Frankfort, Kentucky. The same recipe underlies the Pappy Van Winkle line. Standard expressions range from Special Reserve at 90 proof to Full Proof at 114 (bottled at its barrel-entry proof, non-chill filtered); William Larue Weller is bottled uncut and unfiltered at barrel proof (129 proof in the 2025 release, aged about 14 years). The 18-year expression is a straight wheat whiskey, with wheat as the primary grain. Exact proof and age vary by release and are confirmed on each bottle's page.
Authentication & Vault Preservation
Every Weller bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authorized, authentic retailer, vault-stored and insured, shipped with protective handling and age-verified 21-and-over signature on delivery, and authenticated by our concierge before it ships. For the details, see how we confirm each bottle is genuine, vault storage and concierge service, and the sourcing standards we follow.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is W.L. Weller bourbon?
W.L. Weller is Buffalo Trace's line of wheated bourbon, made with wheat in place of rye as the secondary grain after corn — a recipe that gives a softer, sweeter character than rye-based bourbon. It is named for William Larue Weller (born 1825), the 19th-century distiller credited with pioneering wheated bourbon, and it shares its mash bill with the Pappy Van Winkle line.
What are the W.L. Weller expressions?
The standard range is Special Reserve (90 proof), Antique 107 (107 proof, no age statement), Single Barrel (97 proof), C.Y.P.B. (95 proof) and Full Proof (114 proof, bottled at entry proof and non-chill filtered). Above them sit the W.L. Weller 18 Year — a straight wheat whiskey rather than a bourbon — and William Larue Weller, the only wheated bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, bottled uncut at barrel proof (129 proof in 2025).