I Tasted the Rare Orange Label Weller Single Barrel—A Drinker's Take on the Completionist Collector's Folly
- Nick Anderson
- May 5
- 6 min read
“Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?”
- Mary Oliver
Many folks I see across the whiskey world hunt the orange-labeled Weller like it's a piece of treasure hidden deep beneath a sea of shelfer whiskey. You'll see crotch shots in your local Facebook groups, crazy pricing all around the horn to try to make a buck off the scarcity, and countless collectors posing the completed Weller lineup on their shelf once they manage to score the elusive Weller Single Barrel.
But do people even know what it is that they're hunting? Inside this bottle is the same wheated bourbon mash bill that Buffalo Trace uses for all their wheated bourbons, from Pappy Van Winkle to William Larue Weller to Weller Special Reserve. Most of those aforementioned bottlings, aside from single barrel selections, are blends. This means that they combine any number of barrels to create a consistent profile that they believe is well suited for that particular labeling and will be able to be distributed in bountiful numbers all across the world. As we scale that reach back down, we ultimately return to single barrel, the club's or connoisseur's choice over the last 5 years, it would seem.
What does single barrel mean?
You might be surprised to learn that the term "single barrel" is not actually a legally regulated whiskey term. Just like the term "small batch" doesn't get any verification scrutiny from the likes of the TTB, verifying single barrel bottlings would likely be labor-intensive and incredibly difficult. Instead, we rely on a bit of vigilante justice in the whiskey community—a little "truth-in-advertising" protection, if you will. Those that are paying attention likely wouldn't let a 10,000-bottle yield release be adorned with a "single barrel" label; a batch of that size would certainly be a blend of many barrels. Though single barrel isn't legally protected in whiskey regulations, it certainly comes with an inherent definition: whiskey that comes from a singular barrel of whiskey, regardless of size.
This concept obviously isn't new; it's how whiskey has been sold and distributed for centuries. Hundreds of years ago it wouldn't be uncommon for the whiskey-drinking masses to come fill their own bottles straight from the barrel at their local distilleries of the time. Certain affluent and notable historical figures have been known to source their own barrels of their favorite whiskey, like Henry Clay, who visited James Crow and ordered a barrel of Old Crow bourbon to be shipped to Washington.
Being the primary aging vessel for whiskey, a single barrel represents a time capsule for whiskey. You can taste it along the journey and decide for yourself when it's just right for drinking and bottling. Buffalo Trace ultimately decided now was just that time for the barrels that they select for their Single Barrel expression, which releases yearly in extremely limited numbers. If you're here wondering whether one of these rare bottles is worth hunting down, well, I have just the perfect whiskey review waiting for you below. It should be noted that I purchased this bottle with my own money. Some of the links below may be affiliate links that offer partner products at no extra cost to you. These links help me keep bringing you the best independent whiskey reviews on the internet. As always, I tasted this bourbon three times before offering my honest opinion. On with the show!
Company on Label: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Whiskey Type: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Mash Bill Percentages: Undisclosed wheated bourbon mash bill
Proof: 97°
Age: NAS
MSRP: $50 (2022)
Further identification: The "Single Barrel" expression first released in 2020, though the bottle under review is a 2022 bottling, and since no two barrels are quite alike, your experience may vary
Nose: Bright caramel and butterscotch lead the way on the nose like a creamier version of Weller Antique, sans the spice. Light black pepper is softened by crème fraîche and a sunny beachside condo with all the live, laugh, love accoutrements you can think of. In odd flashes, I find soft bits of pinecone aromas. Inhaling off this glass is like walking past the candle aisle at Target. Whew! There's quite a bit of volume for 97 proof early on. Floral tones swing in after a bit of time resting, though you might not notice them under the ever-present and ever-dominant caramel scents. There's a light linen characteristic that I've often found on Buffalo Trace bourbons like George T. Stagg. Long inhales fail to materialize anything further as the glass begins to fade, and I grow impatient for a sip. Coming back after a few tastes reveals a classic, surprisingly proofy bourbon aroma that feels a touch nostalgic—nostalgic for a time long ago when I was first falling in love with bourbon as a longtime Irish whiskey drinker. It's coming across as a bit basic, entry-level, but ultimately rather enjoyable from the perspective of a whiskey novice. Some hallmarks of a jazzed-up Weller 12—the bourbon that got me into bourbon—come through here. Leaving the glass alone for a long rest amplifies some leather tones and rich oak as the glass comes to a close. The empty glencairn smells of sweet earth and cool summer night air.
Palate: On first taste I find light maraschino cherry juice that leans just a touch toward medicinal. The creamy nose doesn't materialize in as much viscosity for the mouthfeel, which leads to a little disappointment for me in the thinness of the whiskey here. Another sip quickly following the first magnifies the intensity of the first while layering in the classic bourbon note of caramel that matches the nose well. Some days (and on some of the other Weller Single Barrels that I've tried), the butterscotch translates well from the nose, but today not so much. Today's tasting is leaning in on that candied cherry profile that Buffalo Trace is well known for and oodles of caramel, as I've stated. Hints of honey and mint offer moments of complexity in an otherwise pretty monotone pour. Sipping later in the glass continues to come across a touch thin, though the creamy, easy-to-drink backbone is definitely still the dominant characteristic. The linger flashes vague thoughts of tropical fruit across the mind, but they're not distinct enough to name. Despite the glass seemingly commanding to be sipped through quickly due to the repetition of sips being additive in flavor volume, I managed to still take my time with this one. It's for this exact reason I don't find myself reaching for this bottle often. My last sip comes across a bit watery—this certainly wouldn't stand up to an ice cube, though it shows off more mint tones and a bit of tarragon. The finish is short and sweet with whipped cream, light cinnamon bread, and nondescript sweet brown flavors trailing off into nothingness.
TL;DR: A flash in the pan bourbon that seems to be all about scarcity instead of complexity
Rating: 3.5/5
Does this label need to exist? No. It only seems to serve as a redundant collector's item with no inherent value as a drinking whiskey compared to existing products on the shelves. There are plenty of other opportunities to get a single barrel release of Weller bourbon. Stores across the nation are selecting Weller Antique and Weller Full Proof barrels all the time. Heck, I've selected over 10 of them myself, and all those picks have been better than what's in this bottle. Maybe it's the 97 proof that's just not jiving with my palate, but it just doesn't have a consistency sip to sip that I'm really looking for in a whiskey. If you happen upon one at MSRP, then have at it... but if you're shelling out hundreds of dollars for this just to complete a set that might be incomplete in another year from the introduction of a new label, I think you're chasing the wrong high.
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