One of my all time favorite bottles is Old Weller Antique 107 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey. W L Weller Antique, OWA, Weller red label, Weller Antique, 107, Weller 107. There are so many names for this bottling because it is widely regarded and one of the best tasting and affordable bottles at MSRP. The problem is it is another bottle that is extremely hard to find. A few years ago a 750 mL bottle was around $20 but now MSRP for Weller Antique is $50 and still flys off of the shelves. The secondary market values a standard 750 mL bottle around $100 and store picks $200 and up depending on the pick.
Brief History of Stitzel-Weller Distillery
The Weller brand dates back to W L Weller, the man who first used wheat in his bourbon instead of rye. Wheat gives a softer, sweeter tasting bourbon compared to more traditional bourbons that use rye as the secondary grain. Wheated bourbons also, in my opinion, taste better at high ages (12+ years old) and have a more complex and thicker mouthfeel.
Pappy Van Winkle, who started as a salesman for W L Weller, eventually bought the liquor distributor company W L Weller and Sons in 1908. During prohibition Pappy operated his distribution company in a partnership with The A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery under a medicinal license. Pappy merged W L Weller and Sons with the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery after prohibition ended to form Stitzel-Weller. The newly formed distillery opened on Kentucky Derby Day in 1935. The earliest bottling of Weller that I have seen was from 1936 and there have been many different labels, bottles and presentations over the years.
The wheated bourbons produced by the Stitzel-Weller Distillery included Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Cabin Still and Rebel Yell. Old Rip Van Winkle Bourbon was actually a label sold pre-prohibition but not reintroduced back onto the market until the 1970’s.
What is Non-Chill Filtered Bourbon?
Chill filtering bourbon is a common practice at most distilleries to remove sediment, barrel char, cloudiness and unwanted particles. Bourbon is cooled to 41-50 degrees and ran through an absorption filter. It also can filter out some fatty acids that can lead to a creamier mouthfeel that many bourbon fans find highly desirable.
Enthusiasts started seeking out, requesting and paying more for non-chill filtered (NCF) bourbons. Some single barrel medallions will include that information on them and other times you have to email info@buffalotrace.com to get that information. Send a picture of your medallion and laser code on the bottom of the bottle. It can take a few business days but worth the wait! The more transparency from the distilleries benefits the consumer and the more educated the bourbon community will be! The bottle I am reviewing is a non-chill filtered bourbon. NCF is stated on the medallion and it was also confirmed in my email I received from Buffalo Trace. If it is not stated on the Medallion, the only way to find out is by emailing Buffalo Trace.
How Old Is Old Weller Antique 107?
The standard OWA bottle is in the 6-8 year range. Most single barrels that I have received the info sheet from Buffalo Trace on are in the 7-8 year range.
Who Owns Weller Now?
The Weller bourbon brand has been owned by Sazerac since 1999. Sazerac also owns Buffalo Trace Distillery where Weller is distilled, aged and bottled. The other products bottled in the Weller line are Weller Special Reserve, Weller 12 Year, Weller Full Proof, Weller CYPB and Weller Single Barrel.
Old Weller Antique 107 Bourbon Review
I poured this neat in a glencairn and let rest for ~15 minutes. You can buy a set of glencairns like I use to taste bourbon. The glencairn is the preferred drinking glass of most whiskey enthusiasts when drinking their pour neat.
Color – A nice aged copper
Nose – My first nose reminds me of warm ripe red raspberries picked fresh in the summer sun, much different than anything store bought. I also get a soft warm stewed apples sweetness but without any allspice/seasoning. After a slight swirl I go back for another nose and the alcohol hits me hard but then calms down. That is followed by some more of the barrel influenced notes of oak, vanilla and a slight peppery note. Very pleasant.
Taste – Normally 107 proof is my sweet spot but this drinks a little hotter than that. Not as sweet on the palate as the nose. Much more barrel influence on the palate with notes of oak and leather. My second sip has more sweetness with ripe red berries, fresh juicy cherries. Little to no vanilla.
Finish – A 107 proof finish is perfection. The right amount of time to creep down and warm your chest, not overpowering but you still know it’s there. Very little alcohol burn. Oak, leather and a hint of cherries linger on the mid and back of the palate for a nice medium to long finish.
Rating – 8.5/10
Thoughts – This is a OWA single barrel store pick and beats out the regular shelfer in my opinion. I’ve had better OWA picks but this is above average for sure. The alcohol was a little hotter than I expected for 107 proof but the fruit notes were in a fairly nice balance with the aged barrel influenced notes of oak and leather. Some OWA store picks are chill filtered and some are non-chill filtered.
I have tasted many OWA picks and I do believe that over many different barrels I have enjoyed the NCF picks more than the chill filtered picks. There are some excellent chill filtered bourbons but bypassing that process give the consumer a more raw, natural tasting experience that can really provide an outstanding final product.
Old Weller Antique store picks are one of my favorite pours of bourbon out there and used to be obtainable. Now they disappear off the shelves in minutes or don’t hit the shelves at all. I love wheaters because they are a nice change up from traditional bourbon. The 107 proof hits the nose, palate and finish perfectly and this has enough age on it to taste like a high caliber pour. These are hard to find and a good substitute are Maker’s Mark products. Old Fitzgerald, Larceny and Rebel Yell are some other popular wheated bourbons but I don’t think they compare to Buffalo Trace or Maker’s Mark wheated products.
1 | Disgusting | So bad I poured it out.
2 | Poor | I wouldn’t consume by choice.
3 | Bad | Multiple flaws.
4 | Sub-par | Not bad, but better exists.
5 | Good | Good, just fine.
6 | Very Good | A cut above.
7 | Great | Well above average.
8 | Excellent | Really quite exceptional.
9 | Incredible | An all time favorite.
10 | Perfect | Perfect
