The first whisky poured at the Oak Haven tasting was William Larue Weller 2018. WLW and George T. Stagg battle it out year after year for my top BTAC honors. While Weller wins every once in a while, Stagg is usually too good to beat. Tasting these two back to back was the perfect opportunity for me to determine the 2018 winner once and for all.
WLW 2018 is a 2006 vintage aged for 12 and a half years and bottled at 125.7 proof. This vintage came from 149 barrels of Buffalo Trace’s wheated mashbill whiskey. For all the details you could ever want about this particular release, check out all the tech specs straight from the source.
My tasting notes are below.
This is 2017 WLW, but you get the point.
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Category|Notes
Appearance|Dark Amber
Nose|Vanilla and caramel, soft wheat, cherries, fig, hint of fresh strawberry, creme brûlée.
Taste|Big fruit, creamy mouthfeel, vanilla, dried berries, maple syrup, toasted oak throughout
Finish|Fruit salad, nice layer of oak, fresh whipped cream, baking spice, hint of blackberry.
Overall Thoughts|A fruit forward WLW that still features plenty of spice and that classic Weller soft wheat. This one didn’t top 2016 or 2017 for me but I still enjoyed it throughly.
Total Score|90/100
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When it comes to whiskey, Chris Perugini has seen it all. As a long-time whiskey writer and educator, Chris has been completely immersed in the whiskey world for over 15 years. He curates and hosts corporate and private whiskey tastings across the United States and leverages his extensive knowledge of whiskey to educate groups of all sizes and all levels of experience. As the creative force behind Single Malt Savvy, he regularly reviews new releases, writes in-depth articles about the whiskey industry, and fosters meaningful whiskey discussion on social media. Chris is also a spirits contributor for Forbes.com.
