Hannah’s Weller Full Proof Bourbon Review
Original review written May 11, 2021
GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
With limited availability, if you have the chance to snag this bottle, do so without hesitation. Rich, deep, warm and with all flavor profiles offered, it is a must. Will repurchase if ever given the chance.
VITALS:
– Made In: Kentucky, USA
– Distiller: Buffalo Trace Distillery
– Classification: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey; Wheated Whiskey
– Age: nas
– Mash Bill: unpublished but likely similar to other Weller releases: Corn=70%; Wheat=14-16%; 14-16% Malted Barley
– Casks: unpublished char
– Non-Chill Filtered
– Barrel Entry Proof: 114
– ABV: 57% (114 proof)
– Price: $49.95 USD in Idaho
Visit buffalotracedistillery.com for more information
ENJOYMENT METHOD:
I enjoyed the juice neat from a Glencairn with my sister and my father/fellow Whiskey for the Ages reviewer, Brian.
Check out his review of this bourbon here!
SETTING:
I feel like sitting outside in the early afternoon on a patio with a classic red bicycle nearby is a must with Weller Full Proof. Enjoy it with some artisan bread from a local bakery, and you’re all set. The richness of the day and the bread and the sunshine will complement the bourbon and make every color that much brighter and warmer. And if you happen to be, say, in Italy, then all the better.
Photo by Jilbert Ebrahimi on Unsplash
NOSE:
Allspice and baked cherries are first to emerge from the first inhale. With it comes a bit of baked pastry, as though it is a pie. There is also a hint of chocolate, but most of the other sweetness comes from a salted caramel and perhaps a candied nut. There isn’t much wood to be found, but the overall sensation from this nose is incredibly warm and certainly mouthwatering. The alcohol is also minimal yet present, which is something I’d expect from a 114 proof.
While this nose may not have an abundance of flavors that come readily to mind, the aromas offered are VERY rich, deep, and warm – essentially everything that you could look for in the nose of a new bourbon. I simply cannot wait to get into this glass.
PALATE:
– Mouth Feel: Thick and syrupy, much like caramel.
– Balance: Fantastic. That’s really all that can be said. The flavors are a molten joy to sip and sample.
– Visual: Carrot in color with a nice inverted crown with clinging droplets. Very few legs to be seen.
– Taste: A bloom of warm, rich sweet grain comes across the palate initially, but it is a sweetness that could very well be a fruit sweetness also, as it contains a lot of depth. Cherries are certainly present, but there is also now a kick of savory spices like black pepper, clove, and even a bit of peppercorns that amp up the heat. All of these spices come as a definite shock given not only the proof (low for what I’d consider the intensity of these spices to be), but also because it is a wheated bourbon.
The baked component from the nose remains, though now I’d be more inclined to say that it’s a bread. It’s freshly baked and of a more artisan quality than the traditional loaf you’d fine in a grocery store. It’s as though I can taste the burnt wooden plank it would have been baked on in a brick oven. It pairs with the alcohol heat really, really well and makes it seem like it’s living, breathing fire.
However, despite these more savory, warm flavors, it still manages to be sweet. The alcohol richness makes all of the flavors taste molten together. It allows for the initial cherry, and now a dark vanilla, and the salted caramel from the nose to come forward. When I give it a Kentucky chew, the cherry grows in intensity along with black pepper and a sudden freshness I can’t quite identify.
FINISH:
– Lasting Power: Long. The heat goes on and on with a pleasant aftertaste.
– Between Sips: Cherry is the most dominant flavor between sips, but there is oak and suddenly some leather also.
– No More: It’s honestly hard to focus on writing the review when all I want, is to sit back and enjoy this bourbon to the fullest. The depth of the pour and the bourbon warmth with growing notes of allspice and charred wood (not necessarily oak) with the preexisting sweetness make this delectable.
The empty Glencairn is a sweet oak that is warm and just as rich as the palate of this bourbon. I absolutely love this glass and am already lamenting the thought of this bottle being empty.
WORTH THE PRICE?
Yes, yes, yes, and yes. At 114 proof and only around $50 USD, this is an absolute steal. While it is rare, I do hope to be able to find another to replace this bottle in our bunker. It deserves a permanent place in anyone’s bunker, regardless of what you’re preferred flavor profile is. Weller Full Proof is definitely worth the investment.
WELLER FULL PROOF BOURBON REVIEW RATING: 95/100
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