Buffalo Trace is one of the most popular bourbon brands on the planet and their Weller lineup has some of their most sought-after bottles. Weller Millennium now joins the lauded lineup as its new crown jewel and the brand’s most expensive offering ever. With an MSRP of $7,500, Weller Millennium isn’t for your bargain-hunting buddy who stocks up on 1.75ml bottles of Weller Special Reserve like the apocalypse is impending. Indeed, with a price tag like that even the showiest of bourbon snobs — the ones who delight in posting pictures of bottles far more than opening and enjoying them — will probably do a double take on this expression.
That said, the bottle and the packaging look fantastic but if you’re spending used 2013 Cadillac SRX money on a potable beverage, don’t you want to know what it tastes like before buying?
Whether you’re in the market for Weller Millennium (not to be confused with Will Smith’s double-platinum second album) or simply curious about how it differs from the rest of Buffalo Trace’s award-winning wheated bourbon lineup, you’re in luck. We had a chance to try the newest Weller bourbon and we’re going to give it a full review today.
First, what exactly is Weller Millennium? It’s a blend of straight bourbon and wheat whiskeys distilled in 2000, 2003, 2005, and 2006 — which will raise the eyebrows of astute readers. That’s because, for one, this expression doesn’t feature an age statement, despite this indication of provenance, and secondly it’s now the first expression in the Weller lineup that is a blend of straight wheated bourbon as well as wheat whiskey.
Pressed for comment, the brand’s reps have deferred in confirming that the oldest whiskey in this blend is 23-24 years old, though they do take care to describe it as “ultra-aged.” Further, while Buffalo Trace is not releasing the mashbills of the whiskey that comprises this bottling, we are given the percentages of each vintage in the blend. To wit, 3% of the blend comes from the 2000 vintage, 50% from 2003, 40% from 2005, and 7% comes from 2006. Calling this expression “Millennium” is a curious choice that we’ll overlook for now because I’m sure your curiosity is piqued and all that matters is how the whiskey tastes.
Let’s find out!
Weller Millennium
ABV: 49.5%
Average Price: $7,500
The Whiskey:
The base of this blend is whiskey with an undisclosed mashbill (either wheat whiskey or wheated bourbon) distilled in 2003. Featuring what the brand describes as “ultra-aged” liquid, this blend of whiskeys distilled at the turn of the millennium is housed in an elegant decanter and sold in an equally showy display case that features 99 sunbursts surrounding the bottle — representative of the whiskey’s 99 proof points.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Full of ebullient wheat notes and showing a pleasantly fruit-forward bouquet, this nose immediately reads like a wheated American whiskey. Prominent aromas include the likes of black cherry, apple slices, and honey. There’s also an impressive vanilla undertone, which is accented by graham crackers, celery seed, and leather.
Palate: When sipping this whiskey you’ll taste a strong foundation of honey and graham cracker notes with the flavor of black cherries claiming center stage. Overall, the mouthfeel is incredibly rich and viscous, which is a benefit to the flavor profile, as it allows those sweet, fruit-forward notes to coat your tongue and blossom to their full potential. There’s also caramel and a robust oak presence that undergirds it all, which gives an indication that this whiskey is well-aged while remaining true to wheated bourbon’s core flavor profile despite the undisclosed amount of wheat whiskey in the blend.
Finish: The finish is satisfyingly prolonged, as the viscous mouthfeel leads to a tongue-coating experience that helps extend the length of those well-developed sweet notes. Vanilla ice cream and white pepper join the medley of flavors on the back end, and while the viscousness does taper off, the caramel-drizzled fruit notes remain long after your last sip.
Bottom Line:
If you want to sip whiskey like it’s 1999, that is to say, if you want an ultra-aged expression that delivers a rich vintage profile then you’ve found the Weller for you. The price will likely give you pause, but Weller Millennium offers a more mature take on the prototypical Weller profile by displaying slight tweaks on the periphery which serve to elevate it on the whole. With a deft balance of flavors, an impressively distinct texture, and a deceptively lengthy finish, Weller Millennium is seemingly bottled at the perfect proof. Millennium’s decadence is only rivaled by William Larue in Buffalo Trace’s Weller stable, and it easily outpaces Daniel Weller as a sumptuous sipping experience.
As Buffalo Trace continues to push the boundaries of ultra-aged American whiskey and extend the upper limits of premium-priced American whiskey, Weller Millennium is an expression that fits comfortably into both categories despite being regretfully out of reach for most consumers.
Ranking: 90/100 making it an exceedingly enjoyable, albeit exorbitantly priced, A-minus expression.