In honor of American whiskey pioneer William Larue Weller's 200th birthday, Buffalo Trace Distillery has added two new ultra-aged whiskeys to the W.L. Weller brand. Weller 18 Year Old and the second edition of Weller Millennium became available in July 2025, with the former being exclusive to global travel retail and the latter having limited availability through various distributor networks and at the Buffalo Trace Distillery.
Weller 18 Year Old
Weller 18 Year Old is the W.L. Weller brand's oldest bottling to date. It is a wheat whiskey, not a bourbon, and is bottled at 90 proof / 45% ABV. It is packaged in a 700ML decanter with a crystal topper and features a hand-etched "W," reminiscent of W.L. Weller’s original stamp of quality. Initially, it is only available via Global Travel Retail at select airports, including Los Angeles International (LAX), New York's John F. Kennedy International (JFK), and London Heathrow (LHR), at a suggested retail price of $499.
"Weller 18 Year Old is the culmination of curiosity, tradition and time,” said Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley in a company press release. “The softness of the wheat has evolved into something rich and wonderfully expressive. We are extremely proud of the resulting whiskey, which showcases the versatility and potential of a wheat-forward mashbill.”
Weller Millennium # 2
Weller Millennium made its debut last year and is a blend of vintage straight wheated bourbon and wheat whiskeys, with the components distilled at Buffalo Trace Distillery in 2001, 2003, and 2006. It is bottled in a crystal decanter at 99 proof / 49.5% ABV and comes in a deluxe light-up display calse. The second edition of Weller Millennium is available through Sazerac’s U.S. and global distributor networks for a suggested retail price of $7,500 for a 750ML bottle. A limited supply will also be available for purchase at the Buffalo Trace Distillery and through Legacy de Forge, a new global platform for purchasing rare and allocated bottles.
The Legacy Of William Larue Weller
Commonly considered the father of wheated bourbon, William Larue Weller was a whiskey pioneer who founded his wholesale liquor business in 1849 in Louisville, Kentucky. He is credited with being one of the first to use wheat as the secondary grain in his bourbon mash bill, a significant departure from the more common rye. This innovation resulted in a smoother, sweeter whiskey that set his products apart and laid the groundwork for the wheated bourbon style.
About Buffalo Trace Distillery
Located in Frankfort, Kentucky, Buffalo Trace is widely recognized as the "World's Most Award-Winning Distillery." It holds the distinction of being the oldest continuously operating distillery in the United States, with a rich history that includes navigating challenges like Prohibition. The distillery is known for producing a wide array of acclaimed whiskeys, including its namesake Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Blanton's, Pappy Van Winkle, and the Weller line.
The W.L. Weller brand was purchased by the Sazerac Company in 1999 and since then has been produced at Buffalo Trace Distillery. Buffalo Trace honors Weller’s legacy by continuing to craft the wheated bourbon line using his original recipes. These latest expressions, the Weller 18 Year Old and Weller Millennium, are a testament to the distillery's ongoing commitment to honoring the pioneering spirit of William Larue Weller.
Images courtesy of Buffalo Trace Distillery
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