Buffalo Trace Debuts Daniel Weller Spelt Wheat Bourbon
The 10-year-old, 94-proof whiskey continues the Daniel Weller line’s mission of experimenting with different wheat varietals.
Weller Bourbon is already one of the most sought-after Buffalo Trace brands, but a just-announced, experimental Weller release will likely be one of the most coveted whiskey bottles of 2026. Daniel Weller Spelt Wheat is a luxe new bourbon from the Weller line. It’s also the first Buffalo Trace whiskey to use the unusual spelt varietal of wheat in a mashbill, and only the second Daniel Weller release ever.
Daniel Weller is essentially Buffalo Trace’s experimental Weller label, but the tweaks have thus far been limited to new grains. The first release, “Emmer Wheat” also focused on a special type of wheat with “ancient grain” associations. That “Emmer Wheat” debuted in 2023, and there has not been another since. Buffalo Trace is being thoughtful about how and when they release these bottles — without the concern for meeting annual demand that the Antique, 12-year, Full Proof, and other lines feel.
At 10 years and 94 proof, this latest batch of Daniel Weller isn’t a monster when it comes to strength or age, but that’s kind of the point. Aging a whiskey 20-plus years would essentially negate the whole point of making a whiskey with an “ancient” grain — more time in the barrel means less grain character in the final flavor profile.
And according to Buffalo Trace Master Distiller Harlen Wheatley, they really didn’t want this to be a barrel-focused experiment. “Rather than leaning on barrel innovation,” he explained in a press release, “we chose to strip the process back and let the wheat speak for itself. By avoiding specialized barrel treatments and techniques, we were able to focus on how spelt wheat’s natural sweetness and distinct character influence the Weller mashbill. Its nuanced profile makes it ideal for experiments where the grain’s personality is meant to shine.”
What the spelt wheat has brought to the table exactly won’t be clear until you taste this whiskey, but Wheatley’s notes suggest that it’s a rich and pleasantly toasty walk through a bakery. Tasting notes from the distillery describe a whiskey that is primarily nutty with baking spices, starting with a “biscuit-forward” aroma with “hints of baked cookies, clove, cinnamon, and caramel.” On the palate, the baking spices are balanced against “layers of dried fruit” and a “restrained floral note,” before a finish that combines all of the aromas and flavors into something that is “long, composed, carrying soft fruit, nuttiness, and lingering spice.”
Whether this bottle is worth its equivalent in other Weller products (it’s about four times the price of Weller 107) is definitely going to be a personal choice, but if you’re a must-try-everything completionist, you’re not going to want to pass this one up. The $550 price tag is steep for a 10-year whiskey for sure, but experiments like this are rare reoccurrences, so it’s not like this bottle is one you can skip and try next year. If they keep the current schedule, the next release in this collection won’t even hit shelves until 2029, and will look very different. And as for the empty slot on your shelf, it will have an awful lot of dust on it.
G. Clay Whittaker is a Maxim contributor covering lifestyle, whiskey, cannabis and travel. His work has also appeared in Bon Appetit, Men’s Journal, Cigar Aficionado, Playboy and Esquire. Subscribe to his newsletter Drinks & Stufffor whiskey reviews and trends, perspectives on drinks, and stuff.