This whiskey draws its core character entirely from the distillery's prized wheated mash profile, substituting standard rye grain components for soft red winter wheat to construct an inherently sweeter distillate molecule. Double distilled through copper beer columns and doubler systems at DSP-KY-113 in Frankfort, Kentucky, the liquid entries the wood at a traditional 114 entry proof. The select barrels chosen for this 2016 vatting run were matured for over twelve years on the third and sixth floors of Warehouses D, K, and L before being bottled free of water reduction under the corporate parameters of the Sazerac Company.

Every bottle handled by Midnight Whiskey is procured strictly through authorized, verified allocation channels and passes rigorous physical seal and label inspection points before being logged into inventory. Shipments are handled via specialized, glass-rated container packaging and absolute age-verification checks; an adult signature (21+) is strictly mandatory upon delivery. Review our complete protocols via the checks each bottle goes through, Vault preservation and concierge delivery, and where our bottles come from.

What proof is the 2016 William Larue Weller?

The 2016 William Larue Weller comes in at 135.4 proof (67.7% ABV) — representing one of the stronger historical Weller allocation runs — bottled uncut and unfiltered at barrel strength. It is a wheated bourbon distilled in the spring of 2003 and aged 12 years and 7 months. Because it is bottled straight from the barrel, the proof is set entirely by natural environmental parameters rather than standard water dilution.

Why is William Larue Weller compared to Pappy Van Winkle?

Both are premium wheated bourbons — using soft wheat in place of rye as the secondary grain variable — and both share the ancestral grain lineage that William Larue Weller helped popularize in the 19th century. The primary distinction is the bottling format: William Larue Weller is presented at full barrel strength (135.4 proof in 2016), whereas the Pappy Van Winkle portfolio is proofed down with water. Within the Sazerac portfolio, it functions as the Antique Collection's wheated standard, separate from rye-recipe options like George T. Stagg.