William Larue Weller Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (2020 Antique Collection)

Price

$2,299.95

✔ 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 (2020 Release) | Region: Frankfort, Kentucky, USA | Proof: 134.5

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

134.5

Proof

67.25%

ABV

750 mL

Format

12Y 6M

Age Statement

73%

Loss

Kentucky

Region

At 134.5 proof the 2020 William Larue Weller was the strongest whiskey in that year's Antique Collection, ahead of a 130.4-proof George T. Stagg. Buffalo Trace distilled it in the winter of 2008, aged it in warehouses I and C, and bottled it uncut and unfiltered at 12 years and 6 months.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

Strongest of its own set: 134.5 proof against the Stagg at 130.4, Thomas H. Handy at 129.0, Eagle Rare 17 at 101, and Sazerac Rye 18 at 90.

Uncut and unfiltered: No water added and no chill filtration applied at bottling, preserving natural barrel strength.

Distilled winter 2008, bottled at 12Y 6M: Distilled in winter 2008 and aged 12 years and 6 months across Warehouses I and C.

73% Evaporation Loss: Nearly three-quarters of the original liquid volume evaporated during maturation in Kentucky white oak.

Wheated recipe core: North Dakota wheat replaces rye as the secondary grain beside Kentucky corn and malted barley.

Nº 02

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Wheated Heritage

Frankfort Cask-Strength Wheated Peak

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 release honors the legendary pioneer who first introduced wheat into Kentucky bourbon recipes.

Nº 03

Craftsmanship & Cask Architecture

North Dakota Wheat & Warehouses I & C Aging

Wheated Mash Platform

North Dakota Wheat Core

Distilled from Kentucky corn, North Dakota wheat, and North Dakota malted barley for a rounded, velvety mid-palate profile.

Warehouses I & C

12Y 6M Oak Maturation

Aged 12 years and 6 months across Warehouses I and C, driving rich wood spice while yielding a 73% evaporation loss.

134.5 Barrel Proof

Uncut & Unfiltered

Bottled straight from the cask at 134.5 proof (67.25% ABV) without chill filtration or dilution, preserving all natural oak oils.

Heavy Char Cooperage

#4 Heavy Char White Oak

Entered new 53-gallon American white oak barrels subjected to a 55-second #4 char fire treatment in winter 2008.

Nº 04

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distillery & Reviewer Tasting Notes

Sensory Profile

Nose: Oiled oak, rich pipe tobacco, and caramelized brown sugar.
Palate: Viscous and warm; soft caramel chew, vibrant spearmint oils, and sharp cinnamon.
Finish: Profoundly long, drying, and peppery, carrying ground cinnamon, nutmeg, and heavy wood tannins.

Strategic Position

The wheated bottle normally sits below the rye-recipe Stagg on strength. In 2020 it did not: 134.5 against the 130.4-proof 2020 Stagg it out-proofed. Compare it directly with the 128-proof 2019 Weller aged in Warehouse I alone and the 125.3-proof Weller from the 2021 set in Midnight Whiskey's vault.

Nº 05

Collector Note & Index

Vault Provenance

→

2020 Collection High-Proof Anchor

The 2020 edition sits among the strongest William Larue Weller releases Buffalo Trace has bottled, and it anchored the high-proof end of that year's Antique Collection.

→

Wheated Bourbon Vault Context

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

Collector IndexWLW 2020 RELEASE

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Series Position: 2020 BTAC Allocation
Category: Kentucky Straight Bourbon
Proof / ABV: 134.5 Proof (67.25% ABV)
Age Statement: 12 Years 6 Months (Distilled Winter 2008)
Format: 750 mL

Explore the bourbon collection this William Larue Weller 2020 belongs to.

Nº 06

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
PRODUCER / DISTILLERY	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky (Sazerac Company)
COLLECTION	2020 Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC)
CATEGORY	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey (Cask Strength Wheated)
AGE AT BOTTLING	12 Years 6 Months (Distilled Winter 2008; Bottled Fall 2020)
PROOF / ABV	134.5 Proof / 67.25% ABV (Uncut & Unfiltered)
GRAIN RECIPE	Kentucky Corn, North Dakota Wheat, North Dakota Malted Barley
WAREHOUSE / FLOORS	Warehouses I & C (73% Evaporation Loss)
REGION	Frankfort, Kentucky, USA
FORMAT	750 mL
SKU	088004025953-20

Nº 07

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Buffalo Trace's wheated mash bill replaces the rye of its flagship recipe with wheat, alongside Kentucky corn in distillers grades #1 and #2 and North Dakota malted barley. The 2020 batch was distilled in the winter of 2008 and filled into new American oak barrels with a #4 char. It matured 12 years and 6 months across Warehouses I and C, losing 73% of its volume to evaporation, and went into the bottle with no water added and no filtration — the strength in the glass is the strength that came out of the barrel.

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 2020 William Larue Weller?

The 2020 William Larue Weller is bottled at 134.5 proof, or 67.25% ABV, uncut and unfiltered. That made it the strongest of the five whiskeys in Buffalo Trace's 2020 Antique Collection, ahead of the 130.4-proof George T. Stagg and the 129.0-proof Thomas H. Handy Sazerac from the same release.

How old is the 2020 William Larue Weller?

The 2020 William Larue Weller was distilled in the winter of 2008 and bottled at 12 years and 6 months. Buffalo Trace records that age in the release documentation for the batch, drawn from Warehouses I and C.

How much of the 2020 William Larue Weller was lost to evaporation?

73% of the 2020 William Larue Weller batch evaporated during maturation in Warehouses I and C at Buffalo Trace. A loss that size is why a wheated bourbon filled at a moderate strength can finish above 134 proof after twelve years in wood.

Is the 2020 William Larue Weller chill filtered?

No. Buffalo Trace's 2020 Antique Collection release describes William Larue Weller as uncut and unfiltered, so the 2020 bottling carries no chill filtration and no added water.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Buffalo Trace Distillery · William Larue Weller (2020 Release)

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William Larue Weller

The Elemental Distinction

Buffalo Trace Distillery & Wheated Heritage