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  • ✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
  • ✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
  • ✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging
Age: 11 Years, 2 Months (2008 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 125.3
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Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace Antique Collection · Early Barrel Proof Era Landmark

Buffalo Trace Distillery · Frankfort, Kentucky

William Larue Weller

Wheated Bourbon (2008)

125.3 Proof (62.65% ABV) · Aged 11 Years 2 Months · Spring 1997 Vintage

125.3
Proof
62.65%
ABV
750 mL
Format
11Y 2M
Age at Bottling
125.3
Barrel Proof
Kentucky
Region

William Larue Weller 2008 is the wheated bourbon of Buffalo Trace's 2008 Antique Collection, bottled uncut and unfiltered at 125.3 proof (62.65% ABV) at 11 years 2 months of age. It was the fourth barrel-proof release to carry the William Larue Weller name, and it reached retail in the fall of 2008 at a suggested retail price of $65.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

01

125.3 proof, 62.65% ABV: Uncut and unfiltered: no water added at bottling and no chill filtration, so the label strength is the strength the wood gave up.

02

11 years 2 months at bottling: Short of the twelve-plus-year profile the label is better known for; the early barrel-proof run ranged from the ten-year 2007 to the fifteen-year 2006.

03

Wheated recipe: Wheat stands in for rye as the secondary grain — the formula W.L. Weller is named for.

04

Third in strength among the 2008 five: Behind George T. Stagg at 141.8 and Thomas H. Handy at 127.5; Eagle Rare 17 and Sazerac 18 both went out at 90.

05

Dual Vintage Proof: Buffalo Trace bottled the 2021 release at the identical 125.3 figure, so strength alone will not identify the vintage year.

Nº 02

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Wheated Heritage

Frankfort Cask-Strength Wheated Legacy

Distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, William Larue Weller stands as the ultimate barrel-strength expression of Buffalo Trace's wheated bourbon mash bill. Bottled directly from the wood without dilution or chill filtration, this 2008 release represents the fourth annual entry in the modern barrel-proof series.

Nº 03

Craftsmanship & Cask Architecture

Spring 1997 Distillation & Warehouse I Aging
Spring 1997 Distillate

Wheated Mash Platform

Distilled from Kentucky corn, soft red winter wheat, and malted barley double distilled to 130 proof in spring 1997.

Warehouse I Floor 9

11Y 2M Oak Maturation

Aged 11 years and 2 months on upper rickhouse decks, driving intense caramel concentration while yielding a 52.05% evaporation loss.

125.3 Barrel Proof

Uncut & Unfiltered

Bottled straight from the cask at 125.3 proof (62.65% ABV) without chill filtration or dilution, preserving all natural oak oils.

Heavy Char Cooperage

#4 Char White Oak

Entered new 53-gallon American white oak barrels (#4 char, 55-second char) in spring 1997.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distillery & Reviewer Tasting Notes
I

Sensory Profile

Nose: Toasted oak, warm vanilla, sweet baking cinnamon, and soft teaberry notes.
Palate: Full-bodied wheated entry, caramel chew, warming baking spices, and sweet oak.
Finish: Long, warming finish with lingering oak tannins, vanilla, and sweet tobacco.

II

Strategic Position

The 2008 belongs to the early stretch of the barrel-proof line — the fourth annual release. Compare it directly with the 2006 Weller two releases earlier, the 134.8-proof 2009 bottling, and the 141.8-proof Stagg in the same 2008 set in Midnight Whiskey's vault.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance
→

Fourth Barrel-Proof Weller Milestone

The 2008 edition stands as the fourth annual barrel-proof entry since the label's cask-strength reintroduction in 2005.

→

Wheated Bourbon Vault Context

Catalogued within the primary Whiskey Collection and The Vault at Midnight Whiskey.

Collector IndexWLW 2008 RELEASE
Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery
Series Position
2008 BTAC Allocation
Category
Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Proof / ABV
125.3 Proof (62.65% ABV)
Age Statement
11 Years 2 Months (Distilled Spring 1997)
Format
750 mL
Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification Detail
PRODUCER / DISTILLERY Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky (Sazerac Company)
COLLECTION 2008 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC)
CATEGORY Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Cask Strength Wheated)
AGE AT BOTTLING 11 Years 2 Months (Distilled Spring 1997; Bottled Fall 2008)
PROOF / ABV 125.3 Proof / 62.65% ABV (Uncut & Unfiltered)
GRAIN RECIPE Kentucky Corn, Soft Red Winter Wheat, Distiller's Malted Barley
WAREHOUSE / FLOORS Warehouse I, floor 9 — 52.05% evaporation loss
BARRELS IN BATCH 40
BOTTLES PRODUCED Approximately 5,131
REGION Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
FORMAT 750 mL
SKU 088004025953-08
Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Buffalo Trace builds the William Larue Weller mash with wheat in place of rye as the secondary grain, and bottles the Antique Collection release uncut and unfiltered — no water at bottling, no chill filtration, so the figure on the label is the figure the barrels reached.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is the 2008 William Larue Weller?

The 2008 William Larue Weller was bottled at 125.3 proof, or 62.65% alcohol by volume. It is the wheated bourbon in Buffalo Trace's 2008 Antique Collection, bottled uncut and unfiltered, so the strength on the label is the strength the barrels reached with no water added.

Is a 125.3 proof William Larue Weller the 2008 release?

Not necessarily. Buffalo Trace bottled both the 2008 and the 2021 William Larue Weller at 125.3 proof, so the strength alone does not identify the vintage — check the release year recorded on the bottle. Each annual William Larue Weller goes out at whatever strength its barrel selection has reached, so two vintages can land on the same figure.

How old is the 2008 William Larue Weller?

The 2008 William Larue Weller was 11 years 2 months old at bottling, and it reached retail in the fall of 2008. Buffalo Trace bottles each annual William Larue Weller at whatever age and strength its barrel selection has reached, so the age varies from release to release.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace Distillery · William Larue Weller (2008 Release)

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