William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)
William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)
William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)
William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)
William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)
William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)
William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)
William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2016 Antique Collection)
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Regular price $2,499.95
Regular price Sale price $2,499.95
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Age: 12 Years, 7 Months (2016 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 135.4
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William Larue Weller from the 2016 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection is the year the wheater carried the set. Reviewers called a weak 2016 collection exactly that — and then named this the standout. Twelve years and seven months old, uncut and unfiltered at 135.4 proof, one of the stronger Wellers on record.

The Elemental Distinction

  • The standout of a hard year. Reviewers marked most of the 2016 collection down against recent vintages and then singled this bottle out as the exception.
  • 135.4 proof — one of the stronger Weller releases, and, like every one, a measurement rather than a target: uncut, unfiltered, whatever the barrels gave.
  • Twelve years and seven months, from a spring 2003 fill, matured on the third and sixth floors of warehouses D, K and L.
  • The only wheated bourbon in the Antique Collection: North Dakota wheat in place of rye, the same recipe behind the W.L. Weller line and Pappy Van Winkle.
  • One hundred and forty-five hand-selected barrels, with 65.4% of the fill lost to evaporation over those twelve years.
  • Buffalo Trace's own note: plum, figs, vanilla. Released at a $90 suggested retail.

Sensory Profile

The distillery's note on this release: plum, figs and vanilla — a darker, more fruit-driven reading than the toffee-and-leather register this bottling usually gets.

Reviewers that autumn made it the standout of the collection in a year they judged weak overall. Presented as a reading, not a producer note.

Strategic Position

Among our wheated Antique Collection bourbons the 2016 is the one that won its year outright. Its foil that autumn is the 144.1-proof 2016 Stagg — nine proof points higher, three years older, and the vintage reviewers found harder going. Forward, the 128.2-proof 2017 Weller steps down in strength; the two together show how much of this bottling's character rides on the number.

Technical Specifications

Distillery Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Class Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (wheated, uncut, unfiltered)
Collection Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, 2016 release
Proof / ABV 135.4 proof (67.7% ABV)
Age statement 12 years 7 months at bottling
Distilled Spring 2003
Recipe Wheated — Kentucky corn, North Dakota wheat, North Dakota malted barley
Maturation Warehouses D, K and L; floors 3 and 6
Filtration None
Format 750 mL (US release)
Region Kentucky, USA

Collector Note

Barrel proof makes a Weller vertical legible: same recipe every year, different strength, so the number on the label is the vintage's fingerprint. The 2016 sits high in the run at 135.4 — this bottling has ranged from the high 117s to the mid-136s — and it has the rarer distinction of being the bottle that carried a weak year. That combination is what a collector is actually buying. Practically: 65.4% of the fill evaporated before selection, the label art does not change between vintages, and the printed proof is the only reliable identifier.

Recommended Serving

Neat, tulip, first pour dry — a wheated bourbon carries 135.4 more quietly than a rye mash would, and the plum and fig the distillery names are there without help. Then a few drops in the second glass and the fruit opens further. Beside the same year's Stagg, nine proof points higher on a rye mash, the difference is the clearest lesson the 2016 collection offers about what wheat does.

Production Methodology

William Larue Weller is distilled at Buffalo Trace from the wheated recipe — Kentucky corn in distillers grades one and two, North Dakota wheat, North Dakota malted barley — sour mashed, double distilled off the still at 130 proof, and entered into new #4-char white oak at 114 proof. That low entry proof matters: less water is added before the barrel, and the whiskey concentrates upward from a gentler start. The 2016 filled in spring 2003 and matured twelve years and seven months on the third and sixth floors of warehouses D, K and L. One hundred and forty-five barrels were selected, uncut and unfiltered, at 135.4 proof; 65.4% of the original fill had gone to evaporation.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is the 2016 William Larue Weller?

135.4 proof, or 67.7% ABV — one of the stronger releases this bottling has produced. Every William Larue Weller is uncut and unfiltered, so the figure is the natural strength of that year's barrel selection rather than a house number, and it changes every vintage. Across its history the label has run from the high 117s to the mid-136s, putting the 2016 near the top.

How old is the 2016 William Larue Weller?

Twelve years and seven months at bottling. The whiskey was distilled in spring 2003 and matured on the third and sixth floors of warehouses D, K and L at Buffalo Trace, entering the barrel at 114 proof. Over those twelve years, 65.4% of the original fill was lost to evaporation.

What does the 2016 William Larue Weller taste like?

Buffalo Trace's own note for this release is plum, figs and vanilla — a darker, more fruit-driven description than the toffee and leather this bottling usually draws. Reviewers that autumn judged the 2016 collection weaker than recent years overall and then named this bottle its standout, which is the reputation the vintage still carries.
Shipping information

Adult Signature Required: Federal law requires an adult (21+) with a valid government ID to sign for all deliveries. Carriers cannot leave alcohol unattended.

Processing Time: Most orders process within 1–8 business days. You will receive a tracking number via email as soon as your bottle ships.

Insured Shipping: We strongly recommend electing Shipping Protection at checkout. Midnight Whiskey is not liable for loss or damage once in the carrier's possession unless insurance is purchased.

Restrictions: We ship only within the permitted U.S. states and cannot deliver to P.O. Boxes or U.S. Territories.

All Sales Final: Due to alcohol regulations, we cannot accept returns for change of mind.
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