Bourbon is a name game, with many brands borrowing their monickers from historical figures whose contributions remain a mystery. While some were progenitors of their respective brands, such as Jack Daniel and Jim Beam, others left their mark on American whiskey as a whole. Among them is William Larue Weller. His name adorns some of the most desirable bourbons on the market, but few know who he was. A pivotal figure in the spirits industry, Weller is widely considered the father of wheated bourbons and in a very real sense, you can taste his legacy in the whiskeys that bear his name.
William Larue Weller
The Early Life William Larue Weller
The Weller family hailed from Germany, arriving in Maryland in the 1740s before making their way to Kentucky, according to Buffalo Trace Distillery. Like other immigrant families, they brought with them distilling techniques from their homelands, often selling off what they didn’t need to friends and neighbors. William Larue Weller was born in 1825, the son of Samuel Weller and Phoebe Larue, whose father John P. LaRue had fought in the Revolutionary War and for whom LaRue County, Kentucky, was named.
In April 1846, long simmering tensions along the United States southwestern borderlands erupted into the Mexican-American War. William Larue Weller fought in the war as part of the Louisville Brigade, achieving the rank of Lieutenant. Following America’s victory in 1848, Weller returned to Louisville, Kentucky, where in 1849 he opened a wholesale liquor business with his younger brother Charles, named William Larue Weller & Brothers.
The Birth Of Wheated Bourbon
Soon after setting up his business, Weller struck upon an innovation that would redefine what bourbon could be. Unlike his contemporaries who predominantly used rye as the secondary grain in their bourbon mash bills, Weller chose to replace it with wheat. This seemingly simple alteration yielded a profoundly different result: a bourbon with a remarkably mellow, soft, and sweet flavor profile, distinct from the spicier rye-forward bourbons of the era.
Weller was a fervent advocate for his unique wheated bourbon. According to Buffalo Trace, it proved so popular that Weller reportedly used a green thumbprint on barrels to assure customers they were receiving his authentic product. He would market his wheated bourbon with the motto, "Honest Whiskey at an Honest Price."
A young Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle Sr.
Pappy Van Winkle And The Stitzel-Weller Connection
Weller's wholesale business evolved into W.L. Weller & Sons by the 1870s. A key moment occurred in 1893 when he hired a young whiskey salesman named Julian "Pappy" Van Winkle Sr., who quickly became an integral part of the business. William Larue Weller retired from the bourbon business in 1896 and died in 1899. In 1909, Weller’s sons sold the business to Van Winkle and his partner Alex T. Farnsley.
The relationship between W.L. Weller & Sons and the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, which supplied much of Weller's whiskey, proved crucial. After Prohibition ended, this long-standing partnership officially merged in 1933 to form the now-legendary Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Opened on Derby Day in May 1935 in Shively, Kentucky, the Stitzel-Weller Distillery became renowned for producing exceptional wheated bourbons, carrying on William Larue Weller's original vision with brands like Old Fitzgerald and Old Weller. Under the guidance of "Pappy" Van Winkle, Stitzel-Weller maintained a reputation for uncompromising quality until its eventual sale in 1972.
W.L. Weller Bourbon
In 1999, the W.L. Weller brand was purchased by the Sazerac Company. It is currently produced by Buffalo Trace Distillery in Frankfort, Kentucky, maintaining the wheated mash bill tradition that Weller championed. Because it shares this mash bill with the famed and elusive Pappy Van Winkle brand, Weller bourbons have gained a reputation as a cheaper and more attainable alternative. Known in bourbon circles as "Poor Man's Pappy," demand soon outpaced supply, and Weller bourbons now often sell well above their comparatively modest MSRPs.
W.L. Weller's core offerings include the entry level W.L. Weller Special Reserve bourbon, the cult favorite W.L. Weller Antique 107, and the highly coveted W.L. Weller 12 Year Old bourbon. Recent additions include W.L. Weller Full Proof, bottled at its original distillation strength, and limited yearly releases such as W.L. Weller Single Barrel and the W.L. Weller C.Y.P.B. (Craft Your Perfect Bourbon). In 2024, Buffalo Trace released Weller Millenium, a luxury-priced blend of vintage wheat whiskies dating back to 2000.
Beyond the W.L. Weller line, Weller's name is further immortalized in the William Larue Weller bourbon, a centerpiece of the annual Buffalo Trace Antique Collection (BTAC). This highly anticipated, barrel-proof release is a powerful, uncut, and unfiltered expression that consistently garners top awards and is among the most coveted bourbons globally. It represents the pinnacle of William Larue Weller's original vision, showcasing the full potential of wheated bourbon with remarkable depth and complexity.
Images courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery
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