Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey 2016
Weller 12 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey 2016 is the one the collectors call "poor man's Pappy" — a 750mL bottle at 90 proof of Buffalo Trace's wheated bourbon, aged a full twelve years, from the 2016 vintage bottling. Twelve years in oak gives it remarkable depth: rich caramel, vanilla, dark fruit and honey over the signature soft wheated profile, with a long, elegant finish. It's available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 45% (90 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 12 years
- Vintage: 2016 bottling
- Mash bill: wheated bourbon — wheat as secondary grain (shared DNA with Pappy Van Winkle)
- Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
- Origin: Kentucky
Twelve Years of Wheat and Oak
Weller 12 sits at the sweet spot of the Weller family: old enough for real oak complexity, bottled at a gentle 90 proof that lets the wheat shine. It shares production DNA with Pappy Van Winkle — the same wheated mash bill William Larue Weller pioneered, the same Frankfort warehouses — which is why it has become one of the most allocated bottles in American whiskey. The 2016 vintage predates the label redesign era, a detail collectors notice. Expect a welcoming bouquet of caramel, vanilla bean and toasted oak with dried cherries and honeycomb, then a silky palate of toffee, dark fruit and baking spice. Explore more W.L. Weller, browse the store's aged bourbons, or compare with other wheated bourbons.
Tasting Notes
Caramel, vanilla bean, toasted oak, dried cherries and honeycomb on the nose, with butterscotch and old leather from the long aging. The palate is silky — toffee, dark fruit, caramelized sugar, baking spice, light cocoa and sweet pipe tobacco. The finish is long, warm and layered: vanilla, oak and cinnamon fading into soft almond and dried fig.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a Glencairn to appreciate the 12-year oak, or over a single large cube. A few drops of water open the honey and spice. It also makes a superb Old Fashioned when you want to treat yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Weller 12 called "poor man's Pappy"?
It shares the wheated mash bill and Buffalo Trace production DNA with Pappy Van Winkle, at a fraction of the price — when you can find it.
What proof is Weller 12 Year?
90 proof (45% ABV).
Is Weller 12 Year collectible?
Yes — it is highly allocated and sought after by bourbon collectors, and vintage-dated bottles like this 2016 carry extra interest.
Twelve years of wheated elegance — order Weller 12 Year Old 2016 online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.