Weller Bourbon dates back to 1849, when William Larue Weller began selling whiskey in Louisville, Kentucky, through his company, W.L. Weller & Brothers. He was among the first to pioneer wheated bourbon, replacing rye with wheat in the mash bill for a softer, sweeter profile. Weller later hired Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle, who would carry the brand forward after Prohibition through the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. Following decades of acclaim, the distillery closed in 1992, and the Weller brand was eventually acquired by Buffalo Trace (then known as the George T. Stagg Distillery). Today, Weller is produced at Buffalo Trace in Frankfort, KY, and remains one of the most sought-after wheated bourbons, with expressions like Special Reserve, Antique 107, and the 12 Year, often dubbed the “poor man’s Pappy” due to its shared mash bill with the Van Winkle line.