Weller Special Reserve
Overall Score: 6/10
Overall Value: 3/5
Distillery: Buffalo Trace
Classification: Wheated Bourbon
Company: Sazerac Company Inc.
Release Date: Ongoing
Proof: 90
Age: NAS
Mashbill: Buffalo Trace Wheated Mash
Color: Lite Honey
MSRP: $30 (2025)
The Barrel Bros’ Review
The nose of Weller Special Reserve opens with inviting and sweet notes where vanilla wafer and honey are front and center, followed by subtle red fruit reminiscent of strawberry fruit bars and Smarties candy. There's a faint nuttiness and some red apple layered in, balanced by soft cedar wood. While the overall nose is light, it’s pleasant and balanced—perhaps the best part of the pour.
The palate starts off with a promise of sweetness and fruit from the nose, offering cherry, mild oak, and some grain-forward character. There’s even a hint of candy bar richness, like a toned-down Snickers minus the peanuts. However, the mouthfeel is very light, and that early sweetness fades fast. What takes over is a noticeable youthfulness and a touch of sharp grainy bitterness. It remains drinkable—very crushable in fact—but it lacks complexity or depth.
The finish is where the whiskey stumbles the most. The finish is short, offering little more than char, dry grass, and a lingering bite from its youthful edges. There’s very little of the initial fruit or sweetness left behind. It’s a quick fade rather than a lasting impression.
WL Weller Special Reserve is the most accessible bottle in the Weller line and clearly shows its youth compared to older expressions. While the nose is promising and the pour is smooth and easy-drinking, the lack of depth in flavor and the underwhelming finish limit its appeal for seasoned bourbon enthusiasts. That said, with a low MSRP and frequent sale pricing, it’s a perfectly serviceable everyday sipper or a gentle introduction to wheated bourbons—just don’t expect a standout experience.
If you’re looking for specific notes from our Barrel Bros, read their individual reviews below!
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Individual Reviews
The Rye Guy Says
Score: 6.5/10
Value: 3/5
THE NOSE:
The nose reminds me of vanilla wafer and honey with a subtle sweetness.
A darker profile of cedar wood and red apple also develops.
It has a very well balanced sweet fruit profile.
THE TASTE:
Very light mouthfeel. The main flavors I pull are cherry, oak, and grain. In that order.
It’s a bit underwhelming from the nose, the same sweetness is not present.
The flavor profile isn’t my preference, but overall it’s so non-offensive it’s hard to critique. It’s very crushable.
THE FINISH:
The finish is pretty non existent, so it takes a hit for that.
What little flavor is present comes off mostly char and grass.
BUY OR PASS?
Unfortunately, this bottle is one slow step in the wrong direction after the nose. It presents as a very light whiskey that is easily crushable and for that reason I can see the appeal.
However, I don’t think it’s a bottle that enthusiasts are coming back to repeatedly. I also think it seems on the youthy side.
The Hunter Says
Score: 5.5/10
Value: 3/5
THE NOSE:
This one gives you sweet candy vibes—specifically Smarties.
There’s also a bit of red fruit, like those organic strawberry fruit bars you find at the grocery store.
It’s a light nose overall, but it smells really nice. There’s also a soft nutty note in the background, though I can’t quite pin down what kind of nut.
THE TASTE:
That sweet profile carries over at first, with a little oak joining in.
It kind of reminds me of a Snickers bar, but if you took out the peanuts and dialed everything way down.
Unfortunately, that smooth start is short-lived. A wave of youthful harshness crashes in pretty quickly, and it doesn’t let go.
THE FINISH:
Things continue to fall apart.
The finish is all youthy bite and harsh alcohol. It lingers, but not in a good way.
There’s no real depth, no sweetness hanging around—just that unpleasant sharpness.
BUY OR PASS?
It’s easy to tell this is the youngest in the Weller line. The nose gives you hope for something solid, but the taste and finish just don’t hold up.
While it’s not a pricey bottle, when you stack it up against something like 1792 Small Batch, this one falls way short.
