Buffalo Trace Launches Daniel Weller Wheated Bourbons Series

Jun 28, 2023

Buffalo Trace has announced a new series of wheated bourbons: Daniel Weller. The first bottling in the line, Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat, is pictured. (Photo: Buffalo Trace)

On Wednesday, whiskey distilling giant Buffalo Trace announced a new series of experimental wheated bourbons with a familiar surname: Daniel Weller.

The series, named for Daniel Weller, the grandfather of the famed William Larue Weller, will seek to explore the impact of different strains of wheat on bourbons.

Buffalo Trace plans to release a new limited Daniel Weller whiskey every other year. The project will be led by Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley.

The first Daniel Weller whiskey is made with an ancient-Egyptian form of wheat: Emmer. Emmer is most commonly used to make bread and beer and rarely to make whiskey, according to Buffalo Trace.

"We began this experiment to see how one of the original, long-forgotten wheat strains would taste in our wheated bourbon," Wheatley said in a news release. "We’ve found it offers just a slightly – yet delightfully – different taste that brings us into a new bourbon territory. It will taste like Weller, but with distinct, unique notes that make it stand apart from the other Weller whiskies we’ve released to date."

Aged for nearly 12 years, Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat is bottled at 94 proof.

Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat was distilled in the E.H. Taylor, Jr. Microstill, a combination pot and column still designed by Wheatley.

"At Buffalo Trace Distillery, we are appreciative that many of our brands have found a place in whiskey culture and we continue to invest in making more whiskey to meet the demand. However, our motto is ‘Honor Tradition, Embrace Change’ because we believe the world's best whiskey has not yet been created," said Andrew Duncan, global brand director for Buffalo Trace Distillery.

"We will continue to experiment with multiple variables that affect the final taste profile – grains, techniques, aging, barrels, and more – in pursuit of that ultimate goal. When an experiment ‘graduates’ to be released under a beloved brand like Weller, it's a reflection of our confidence in the whiskey."

Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat will launch in limited quantities this month to select retailers, bars and restaurants across the U.S. at a suggested retail price of $499.99 per 750-milliliter bottle. Each release from the Daniel Weller series is packaged in a clear bottle with a compass-themed stopper that, once opened, reveals the coordinates of Daniel Weller's farm near Botland, Kentucky.

Nose: Fresh and nutty with notes of orange zest, hazelnut, cinnamon and caramel

Taste: A well-rounded blend of bold oak, sweet honey and orchard fruits

Finish: Complex and oak-forward, comoplemented by baking spice and leather notes.

William Larue Weller is well-known as the founder of W.L. Weller & Sons and one of the first sellers of wheated bourbon in Kentucky. However, this is the first time Buffalo Trace has shared William's grandfather's story.

After fighting in The Revolutionary War, Daniel Weller followed in the footsteps of his father, Johannes Weller, and began producing whiskey. Daniel Weller leased his still to other whiskey-makers like Jacob Hirsch in order to make some extra money.

Daniel Weller died in 1807, leaving no will behind. His son, Samuel, purchased his father's stills and other equipment and eventually passed them down to William Larue Weller.

William Larue Weller bourbon is among the most sought-after whiskeys in the world and a key member of the revered Buffalo Trace Antique Collection.

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David Morrow is the managing editor of Whiskey Raiders and has been with the company since September 2021. David has worked in journalism since 2015 and has had bylines at Sports Illustrated, Def Pen, the Des Moines Register and the Quad City Times.David holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from Saint Louis University and a Master of Science in Journalism from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.When he's not tasting the newest exciting whiskey releases, David enjoys spending time with his wife and dog, watching sports and traveling.