Weller 12 was not traditionally an expensive bourbon whiskey. The average retail price hovered at around $40 until something happened to make the able nearly impossible to find. When you look for Weller 12 at your local liquor retailer, the odds are against finding it. Weller 12 is in such high demand because of its scarcity that if a vendor receives a shipment, it flies off the shelves nearly as fast as it comes in. according to Gear Patrol What’s going on with Weller 12-Year and why is it so expensive?
What is the price of Weller 12-Year now?
The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for Weller 12-Year was around $40, but that’s not the price you will pay for it since the spirits have become so hard to find. We surveyed three online vendors to assess the current price of Weller 12-Year and here is what we found. Wooden Cork offers W.L. Weller 12 Year bourbon whiskey for $349.99, and that’s after a $50 discount on the price. Flaviar will sell you a 1-liter bottle for $403.99. Bourbon Central’s price on a 750 ml bottle is $344.99. If you think that’s expensive, it’s not even half the cost of a bottle of Van Winkle’s Special Reserve Lot B 12-Year bourbon whiskey at $1,199.99
What makes Weller 12-Year unique?
Weller 12-Year is made by the Buffalo Trace distillery, the owner of the Weller name since 1999. William Weller developed the Stitzel-Weller distillery in the 1800s, which operated until 1992. Weller 12 is a new label that didn’t see the market until 2001. The bourbon whiskey is aged for 12 years and it’s something that cannot be rushed. The public is now enjoying whatever the number of bottles was distilled twelve years ago, or more. The longer the better, but it must reach a minimum of 12 years before it can be sold as 12-Year bourbon. Any 12-Year bourbon has spent years sitting around waiting to mature. The whiskey must be stored and categorized until it is time to ship it out to distributors. It’s a costly process for keeping it in storage, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. The ingredients used to make Weller 12-Year are premium. It’s a wheaty blend that contributes to the expense of producing the label. Although Trace will not disclose the secrets of their mash, they do share that this bourbon is made with a lower distillation and entry proof. The result is a unique taste and flavor that is smooth, round, and sweet. There is a notable difference in the taste, the texture, and the feeling that the beverage leaves in your mouth. Breaking Bourbon describes Weller 12-Year as a bourbon with notes of oak that can be discerned by the trained palate as a mixture of young and old woods, rich and buttery. It is a complex blend that offers the warmth of vanilla and caramel notes in an even blend that achieves exceptional balance with equal detection among the nuances with layers of flavors. In short, it is unique and stands out among the other bourbons, which makes it a delicacy of sorts.
Why is Weller 12 Year so expensive?
Paste Magazine explains that consumers are participating in the rising cost of bourbon whiskey, and Weller 12 is one of the labels that are on the rise. To begin, there has been an increasing interest in consuming fine bourbon whiskey. There is a high demand from the public, which drives up the price. When supplies of a limited production run become exhausted, the value, in turn, goes up. That’s what we’re seeing happen with Weller 12-Year and other similar brands. There was a time not long ago that Weller 12-Year sold for $20. It’s doubtful that we’ll ever see it offered for that price again. Consumers are contributing to the soaring prices of 12-Year bourbon whiskey by purchasing large quantities. If sales would begin to slow down and the demand drops, the price will follow suit. The rarity of Weller 12-Year is one of the factors that has driven the price so high. Weller 12-Year is not unique. As we pointed out earlier, some 12-Year bourbons are far more costly. No distiller can increase production for the next several years. The bourbons distilled this calendar year will not be ready for release for another 12 years. Whatever is left in the reserves is all the public is going to get regardless of how much they are willing to pay. It’s an endless cycle of rarity that breeds a greater desire, creating a situation where people are willing to pay more for a product because it’s so hard to get. Vendors capitalize on the frenzy because they’re in the business to earn a profit and the more, the better.
Summary
Weller 12-Year Bourbon has reached an all-time high in its price. For now, you can purchase a 750 ml to 1-liter bottle for somewhere between $344 to just over $400. It’s getting harder to find and increasingly rare. It is unknown how many more shipments will be distributed for the calendar year, or how many cases have been set aside for the upcoming year. Some vendors have stocked up on bottles wisely. They anticipated the increasing demand with the scarcity of the product. They’re raising prices accordingly. Weller 12-Year is a unique blend of wheated bourbon that undergoes a distillation and aging process that gives it a one-of-a-kind taste. The shift in consumer behavior has created a demand for fine 12-Year bourbons that exceeds the current supply, driving the price to somewhere between 15 to 20 times its original cost from just a few years ago. We expect the price of Weller 12-Year to maintain its current level until such time that the market for aged bourbon whiskey
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