William Larue Weller 2017 Bourbon

William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2017 Antique Collection)

Price

$1,849.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: 12 Years, 6 Months (2017 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 128.2

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

128.2

Proof

64.1%

ABV

750 mL

Format

12Y 6M

Age Statement

54.08%

Loss

Kentucky

Region

The 2017 William Larue Weller is the wheated bourbon in Buffalo Trace's Antique Collection. It was distilled in the winter of 2005, matured 12 years and 6 months across all six floors of Warehouses D, I and P, and bottled uncut and unfiltered at 128.2 proof. Buffalo Trace published one flavour line for it: toffee, marshmallow and leather.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

Wheated recipe: Kentucky corn in distillers grades #1 and #2, North Dakota wheat where the other four bottles in the 2017 collection carry rye, and North Dakota malted barley.

128.2 Proof (64.1% ABV): Uncut and unfiltered, bottled at 12 years and 6 months old directly from the cask.

Every floor of three warehouses: Buffalo Trace drew this batch from floors 1 through 6 of Warehouses D, I and P — the widest floor range recorded for any bottle in the 2017 set.

114 Barrel Entry Proof: Eleven under the 125 Buffalo Trace states for the Stagg, Handy, Eagle Rare 17 and Sazerac 18 in the same 2017 document.

54.08% Evaporation Loss: Over 54% of the original fill surrendered to the angels during aging over twelve and a half years in wood.

Nº 02

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Wheated Heritage

Frankfort 2005 Vintage Draw

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 2017 release represents an expansive multi-warehouse maturation across Warehouses D, I and P.

Nº 03

Craftsmanship & Cask Architecture

North Dakota Wheat & Warehouses D, I & P Aging

Wheated Mash Platform

North Dakota Wheat Core

Distilled from Kentucky corn, North Dakota wheat, and North Dakota malted barley, double distilled to 130 proof.

Warehouses D, I & P

12Y 6M Oak Maturation

Aged 12 years and 6 months across floors 1 through 6 of Warehouses D, I and P, yielding a 54.08% evaporation loss.

128.2 Barrel Proof

Uncut & Unfiltered

Bottled straight from the cask at 128.2 proof (64.1% ABV) without chill filtration or dilution, preserving natural oak oils.

Independent Stave Oak

#4 Char White Oak

Entered new 53-gallon white oak barrels (#4 char, 55-second char) at 114 proof in winter 2005.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distillery Tasting Notes

Sensory Profile

Nose: Rich sweet caramel, fresh warm coffee cake, and roasted dark coffee beans.
Palate: An explosive "cherry bomb" profile blended with dark brown sugar, light vanilla, and soft wheated creaminess.
Finish: Long, deeply warming, and balanced with subtle trails of sweet wood vanillins and light oak tannins.

Strategic Position

William Larue Weller is the only wheated bourbon in the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection. The 2017 release was married from 155 hand-selected barrels spread over every floor of three warehouses. Compare it directly with the 135.4-proof 2016 Weller, the 125.7-proof 2018 Weller, and the 15-year Stagg in the same 2017 collection in Midnight Whiskey's vault.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance

→

155 Hand-Selected Barrel Milestone

The 2017 William Larue Weller is a winter 2005 distillate bottled after 12 years and 6 months from 155 barrels, falling inside the historical window when Buffalo Trace printed exact barrel counts.

→

Wheated Bourbon Vault Context

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

Collector IndexWLW 2017 RELEASE

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Series Position: 2017 BTAC Allocation
Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Proof / ABV: 128.2 Proof (64.1% ABV)
Age Statement: 12 Years 6 Months (Distilled Winter 2005)
Format: 750 mL

Explore the bourbon collection this William Larue Weller 2017 belongs to.

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
PRODUCER / DISTILLERY	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky (Sazerac Company)
COLLECTION	2017 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC)
CATEGORY	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Cask Strength Wheated)
AGE AT BOTTLING	12 Years 6 Months (Distilled Winter 2005; Bottled Fall 2017)
PROOF / ABV	128.2 Proof / 64.1% ABV (Uncut & Unfiltered)
BARREL ENTRY PROOF	114 Proof
BARREL COUNT	155 Hand-Selected Barrels
GRAIN RECIPE	Kentucky Corn, North Dakota Wheat, North Dakota Malted Barley
WAREHOUSE / FLOORS	Warehouses D, I & P (Floors 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 & 6; 54.08% Loss)
REGION	Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
FORMAT	750 mL
SKU	088004025953-17

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Buffalo Trace's wheated recipe uses North Dakota wheat as the secondary grain alongside Kentucky corn in distillers grades #1 and #2 and North Dakota malted barley. The 2017 batch was double distilled through a beer still and doubler, came off at 130 proof, and was filled into new white oak from Independent Stave at 114 proof: 53 liquid gallons to the barrel, #4 char, burned for 55 seconds. It matured 12 years and 6 months on floors 1 through 6 of Warehouses D, I and P, lost 54.08% of the fill to evaporation, and was bottled from 155 hand-selected barrels with no water added and no filtration of any kind.

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 2017 William Larue Weller?

The 2017 William Larue Weller was bottled at 128.2 proof, or 64.1% ABV, uncut and unfiltered. Buffalo Trace distilled it in the winter of 2005 and bottled it at 12 years and 6 months. It is the wheated bourbon of the Buffalo Trace Antique Collection, where wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain, and it sat just under that year's 129.2-proof George T. Stagg.

Which warehouses and floors held the 2017 William Larue Weller?

The 2017 William Larue Weller matured in Warehouses D, I and P at Buffalo Trace Distillery, on floors 1 through 6. Buffalo Trace's 2017 sheet records 54.08% of the fill lost to evaporation over 12 years and 6 months. No other bottle in that year's Antique Collection was drawn across as many floors.

Is the 2017 William Larue Weller chill filtered?

No. Buffalo Trace's 2017 sheet records the filtration for this release as none, and the bourbon is bottled uncut at 128.2 proof. Its four companions in that year's collection were not all treated the same way: the Eagle Rare 17 and the Sazerac 18 were chill filtered, while the Weller and the Thomas H. Handy were not.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace Distillery · William Larue Weller (2017 Release)

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William Larue Weller

The Elemental Distinction

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Wheated Heritage