Buffalo Trace Celebrates William Larue Weller's 200th Birthday With Two Ultra-Premium Releases
The new whiskeys are Weller 18 year old and Millennium No. 2, both celebrating W.L. Weller's legacy in wheated bourbon
July 25, 2025 –––––– Sean Evans
Today, Buffalo Trace announces the launch of two Weller expressions: Weller Millennium No. 2 and Weller 18 year old, the latter representing the oldest age statement in the brand's history. Today’s announcement coincides with the 200th birthday of William Larue Weller, the legendary distiller who pioneered the use of wheat in his whiskey making. Both releases pay homage to Weller's original mashbill recipe from 1847, which revolutionized American whiskey by substituting wheat for rye in the mashbill, creating the famously smooth wheated bourbon profile.
What Exactly Is Weller Millennium No. 2?
Weller Millennium No. 2 follows its inaugural release from last May, which presented a marriage of vintage straight wheated bourbon and wheat whiskey, with the components distilled at Buffalo Trace in 2001, 2003, and 2006. The liquid was specifically earmarked for this project. The suggested retail price for Weller Millennium No. 2 is the same as the first edition: $7,500.
Market response to the first release was mixed, with U.S. auction prices reaching $9,000, though international markets showed more restraint—a bottle sold for just $3,946 at auction in Scotland this past April.
We haven’t yet tried a sample, but Buffalo Trace describes the 99-proof expression as delivering "a balance of dark cherry, rich butterscotch and warm vanilla that unfolds over layers of well-aged oak," concluding with "a bold and enduring" finish that builds to "an oak-forward crescendo."
Availability begins today at Buffalo Trace's gift shop at the $7,500 retail price (first come, first served until they’re gone), with distribution extending to select retailers and Sazerac's new direct-to-consumer platform, Legacy de Forge, powered by Blockbar.
What’s Weller 18 Year Old?
Weller 18 year old represents the oldest age statement the brand has ever released. It wasn’t matured in the ultra-modern Warehouse P, where Eagle Rare 25 was aged, but in traditional rickhouses.
As for the 90-proof point, master distiller Harlen Wheatley and his team evaluate each new release across multiple proof points, selecting what best serves the liquid's character. “Through this experimentation, we’ve landed at 90 proof for the majority of our Weller bourbons,” he explains. “It offers the desirable balance between strength and approachability, highlighting the softness and sweetness of its wheated mashbill.”
That 90 proof indeed aligns with historical preferences for sipping whiskeys that are full-bodied yet smooth. “While higher-proof Weller expressions exist—such as [114-proof] Weller Full Proof and Weller Antique 107—the 90-proof bottling remains the classic expression of the brand,” Wheatley says. Buffalo Trace describes Weller 18 year old as having a nose of delicately aged fruits and tobacco, with a palate that delivers warm baking spices and crisp green pear.
Packaged in a 700ml handcrafted crystal decanter, Weller 18 carries a surprisingly reasonable suggested retail price of $499. But for now, you'll only find it in duty-free shops at airports, including Los Angeles International, JFK, and London Heathrow. There likely will be wider expansion in the future, but it will all depend on how it does with whiskey fans.
