Is Weller 12 AMAZING OR OVERRATED? | Russell's Reserve 10 Year vs Weller 12 Year

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📽 📽 IN THIS WEEK'S VIDEO:
We pit Russell's Reserve 10 Year against Weller 12 Year in a blind battle to see if Weller 12 is truly head and shoulders above other well-aged, low proof pours.
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[@brorjace1980]

Still amazed at the marketing job Buffalo Trace has accomplished. People will have the Weller line as the center piece of their collection as if it’s the Antique line.

[@tommysimpsonandtheloadeddice]

Seems like the lighting is more subdued in this video. As usual, Erin's hair looks great today. 😀

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Our skin tone levels and overall brightness in previous videos were off-the-charts bright. We’ve since normalized our levels to be in line with movie and television broadcast standards. In fact, they're actually still on the brighter end of broadcast standards for Caucasian skin at 60-70 IRE. We should only appear too dark if viewer screen brightness is set too dim for programming on broadcast platforms like Netflix, Hulu, etc. That said, we know our overall scene would appear visually brighter if we had a white wall behind us, but our overall scene is naturally darker compared to other channels with lighter sets or walls of bottles with accent lighting behind them. This is intentional on our part as we want our content to feel like you’re sitting in a speakeasy-inspired bar or lounge and sharing a pour with us (and those places are rarely light and bright). Apologies for the copy and paste response above but we’ve addressed this a few times in previous comments.

[@tommysimpsonandtheloadeddice]

Thank you for responding! I DO feel like I'm sitting around with y'all having a dram and talking when I watch your videos. Great stuff! @@stuffandwhiskey

[@tomshanley5405]

I think this is great. There may be something different about the two codes, but the difference is negligible. I remember watching Matt Madness where Matt put in all Eagle Rare in the pours but everyone had different experiences in the sampling. The effect of the mind...

[@brettheiner7125]

This would come down to batch for me. I’ve enjoyed both and I’ve been underwhelmed by both. Thankfully, they both have thicker, higher proof big brothers.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Well said!

[@ianreynolds494]

I remember back in the day in before times (pre-boom) when these would be right next to each other on the shelf and available all over the place. Even then Russel's 10 was my preference although I have noticed that the newer batches of R10 seem a bit thinner these days. I always wonder if now that the big brands have high dollar flagships if some of the barrels that would have gone into a R10 are now going somewhere else. Weller was very well suited in the mid shelves not as a unicorn. Also, Erin needs a lyric drop in every video. As always great work.

[@jamesstreet1144]

I’ve never tried the Weller 12, but consider the RR 10 decent. Great video today.

[@michaelackley1560]

Just have never had Weller 12. Like Russell as every day drinker. Love both your expressions during this tasting.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We certainly had fun during this one! Thanks for watching Mike!

[@-doughnuthole-]

Love the channel! Keep up the great work! God Bless

[@100Proofer]

Good matchup. I enjoy both as easy sippers but it's crazy how the W12 is priced. Definitely more of a name-sake whisky than the juice itself. Also, crazy how the Weller lineup used to be budget pours.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Budget pours that sat on shelves. Then hype happened. It's wild for sure!

[@delimonky12]

Picked up Weller 12 on a surprise drop day recently, immediately used it to make some poor man’s pappy. I don’t enjoy it as much straight, and so I just keep it to mix with Weller red! Can confirm, PMP is yum, and worth a try if you have the product or the patience to find it.

[@TheWhiskeyRambler]

From window to the wall! 😂❤. I’ve had samples of a couple of different Weller products and was not impressed, I do not see why people are willing to pay the inflated secondary prices for them. I have not tried the Russels 10 yet but have only heard good things, it seems to be on most peoples list for beginners.

[@BourbonJack]

dumdum ingredients - Sugar, corn syrup, citric acid, malic acid, salt, artificial flavor, color added (includes: Red 40, Yellow 6, Yellow 5, Blue 1). So definitely right that it's not made out of the "good stuff". Thanks for the reviews, always enjoy your banter and discussion.

[@Pirate_Henry_Avery]

I'm with Erin on this one I just don't get any flavor from W12. Since my sinus surgery anything under 100 proof is difficult, especially wheaters but MM 46 and 1792 SW come through nicely but W12, WSR and Larceny just don't taste like anything to me.

[@tomk3478]

Now that's an interesting head-to-head, especially since one is a lot easier to get than the other. Of course, I still haven't picked up a bottle of Russel's Reserve of any kind, so I think I need to fix that.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

The Russell's Reserve Single Barrels are where it's at for our palates. Definitely worth checking out if you like the 110 proof point!

[@tomk3478]

@@stuffandwhiskey I'm not quite up to that proof point just yet. WT101 is still a little hot for me right now, but I'm working my way up the ladder and when I get to it, I'll definitely be trying the single barrel!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

@@tomk3478 a good tip for trying higher proofed stuff without having to deal with watering it down is to actually take a drink of water before taking a sip of whiskey, and then taking the smallest sip of whiskey as if it were a cup of hot coffee. The residual water with help with the proof and the small sip of whiskey will keep the proof from overwhelming your tastebuds. Also, don't judge it by the first sip. Usually higher proofs can take a sip or two to get acclimated, then any burn or string kind of subsides and you're left with a lot more flavor than lower proofed pours.

[@tomk3478]

@@stuffandwhiskey Huh. I'm going to have to try that, then. Looking forward to it, actually.😁

[@tomk3478]

@@stuffandwhiskey I gave this tip a try with a store pick Maker's Mark I had here, 108.8 proof which is outside my current comfort zone. I'd tried it before and it was a bit much. Absolute gamechanger for me, really. I'm now much more open to higher proof stuff because of this. Thank you so much!

[@rt4wd_wolff]

Another great videos guys! I'm a big WT fan. Actually WT Longbranch(pretty controversial) is one of my regulars.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We tried Longbranch not long ago on a whim after passing it up for so long and we really enjoyed it ourselves! 8 years and solid flavor for the lower proof point.

[@rt4wd_wolff]

@@stuffandwhiskey since I saw ya'll blend the 2 at the end I'll share a blend I've been playing with. 50/50 Rare Breed and Longbranch, after letting it rest for a minimum of 4 weeks makes one of the best 101proof blends! Still not as good as OF 1915 "peoples blend" but still really good.

[@Abby_Normal_1969]

Super disappointed in the Russell's 10. And I am a WT guy. Super thin, watery, neutral flavor to my palette. I generally don't get disappointed at mid $30s as it's just a step above budget. I know people love it; good for them.

[@fat_basturd5345]

I thought the same.

[@brite_luddite]

It’s a great stepping stone into the bourbon experience. It is not a destination. I still enjoy it on the regular as a baseline however.

[@hmfunk2000]

I'm so glad you guys did this. I don't even like Russell's 10 and I think R10 is better than W12. I find W12 to be the most overrated bourbon out there. If it hasn't already been done, EHT Small batch I think is also very overrated

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We're with you there. We've blinded over 20 people on EH Taylor Small Batch vs Early Times and 90%+ have picked Early Times as their favorite.

[@CPGumby]

I want to just TRY some Weller 12yr, but it's $50 (or more!) a pour around me, and HIGH secondary pricing (we're talking between $300 and $400) for a bottle. RR 10yr is a great staple bottle and one hell of a value for the age statement compared to so many other 10yr bourbons out there.

[@rhayes458]

Great comparison! Thanks for sharing. What is your take on batch variance with the RR10, if any? I had a bottle a couple of years ago, and it just didn’t do anything for me. But, I generally see everyone give it great reviews now. If I’m not mistaken, the label has changed. Not sure if batch variation is enough to try another bottle? Cheers!

[@stuffandwhiskey]

There’s batch variance with Weller 12 too, but more specifically to Russell’s 10, our general rule of thumb is “how much do you like 90 proofers?” If you like them a lot, the price is fair enough that it’s worth revisiting. If you don’t like proof that low, it’s probably an easy skip.

[@chefcar]

Fun stuff - I actually like Weller 12, but only at retail!

[@joshbieker7388]

Was gifted a bottle of Weller 12 over the weekend. I don’t understand the hype surrounding these. Thin flavor for me.

[@josephthomas2226]

I haven't seen weller 12 for less than 300. When I tasted it I liked it, but it was a few years before I was tasting and buying bourbon.

[@mikem4432]

wheated bourbons in my opinion are very smooth and have a good finish.. surprised they did not pickup right away a wheater from a straight bourbon..lol and I agree with their final assements.. Wellers are nice to have, but it gathers dust as its not that great and very expensive.. Russel 10 I need to restock every now and then.. without any regrets. You might say that was a Buffalo Trace vs Wild Turkey matchup. Wild Turkey spills more bourbon than Buffalo Trace puts out in a year. lol

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Identifying mashbills in blind tastings in almost impossible, and a testament to how much what we know about a pour influences what we think about a pour. We can't encourage blinds enough!

[@heatherharrison264]

At last month's bourbon event at Total Wine, I refused to wait in the tater line, but I checked to see what was left over after the line cleared out. The limit was one bottle per customer, so there were still some good things to choose from. There was a lot of Weller 12, and they were selling it for $40. I probably would have taken one if it had been the only thing left, but there was still some Knob Creek 18, so I got that instead. I don't find Weller 12 all that impressive, and the hype around it mystifies me, but for $40, it would make a good mixer or warm-up drink. I would rather have Antique 107. As for Russell's, I haven't gotten around to the 10-year yet for some strange reason, but one of the local bars has had the basic single barrel Russell's lately, and I enjoy that well enough that I've ordered it more than once.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We're with you Heather on all of this, especially Russell's SiBs. We'd take a Russell's SiB over one Russell's 10 *and* one Weller 12 together. Far more our thing.

[@fishhead680]

💯 agree and have for a long time! Weller 12 is nothing special whatsoever and I do enjoy most Weller products. Same with RR 10 year, not a fan and never have been but I do very much enjoy WT 101 and love RR single barrel! I suppose if I found a Weller 12 I would buy for MSRP so that I could have friends try it but it’s just not great.

[@sethjohnson2287]

Never tried W12, but as a huge Wild Turkey fan, I was very disappointed with RR10

[@tim8287]

I tried to like the Russells 10 year but I just don't think it's anything special. May be good as a mixer?

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Only one way to find out!

[@brentworls8509]

I drink a lot of RR10, I think the value is good, the nose is really nice, and the drinkability is above average. It's a low-effort, decent reward bottle.

[@customer9845]

I finally tried Weller 12 at a bar a couple of months ago. It was very underwhelming and tasted weak.

[@billybastar4022]

$399 for W12 here in Alabama, and Florida! Have a bottle I haven’t cracked. It is the 2023 drop. I wonder if the juice is better? Got it for $48🤷 has anyone cracked the 2023 W12? Russell’s 10 has been meh the last couple of bottles I’ve had pours from. I’ll just keep going to my EH small batch daily driver..Taters rule😂

[@stuffandwhiskey]

At $48, crack it open and enjoy we’d say. We suspect it’ll be pretty good for a 90 proof wheater and solid at $48 (but not very solid at $399).

[@WhiskeyThief757]

Where you pointing bro? 😭😭😭

[@iansammons2730]

As I watch more whiskey reviews, I'm noticing some pretty definite palate differences between testers starting to manifest. I will say the whiskey shelf blog reviewer has the best match to my palate... some of his tasting notes are carbon copies of my experience... and here I see a similar note with Russell's to my limited tastings of it... I watched Minnicks top 10 under 40 where rr10 took second... and while I appreciate the thought he puts into his testing, I get the feel his palate is nothing like mine... makers cask went out instantly for being nothing but oak... and RR10 beat ej, kc, and many more that I think crush it. Some of his notes were miles off my experience.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Palates and preferences definitely differ quite a lot as tasting is so subjective. Knowing if you tend to align or differ from someone else’s palate and preferences is key for sure.

[@JaredHardwick]

Weller 12yr is meh for me. I traded one for an ECBP A120 a few years back and never regretted it.

[@Techswithpecs]

Do you know what year the w12 was from? Breaking bourbon said 2023 w12 is supposed to be much better

[@stuffandwhiskey]

2021 or 2022. Even if 2023 is better, it’s still made to be a soft 90 proofer so we doubt it would be a favorite for our palates either way.

[@sugarkitty4777]

Erin nailed it completely.

[@kamahhl]

Something tells me you guys had a drink before this. Both bottles are pretty good.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Nah, just hanging out and having a good time. This was the first video of the day and we warmed our palates up about 5 minutes prior with two small sips of something we know well to ensure our palates are accurate before we hit record (this is a quality control measure that we always do, and for this video it was either 1792 Small Batch or Bowman Brothers Small Batch as a warmup sip). We’re just cutting loose and having more fun with the content lately and it’ll reflect that going forward.

[@danrudnick5252]

I do like Russel's Reserve as a good semi budget bottle that's easy to find everywhere. Tried Weller 12, didn't care for it at all. Same feeling of just nothing notable. Tastes like basic budget bourbon.

[@jondilly1974]

One of these days y’all need to unleash Erin and let her just riff. While I love the channel and content, unfettered Erin would be amazing! Oh and thanks for an idea what to do with my W12 that doesn’t get touched.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

That's a GREAT point about the newer special release expressions potentially pulling from stocks that used to go into these core shelf products. No way to prove it obviously, but it makes perfect sense!

[@kingseight100]

I think y’all are getting to the snob level. Russell Reserve and Weller 12 at meh? Your taste buds are way beyond mine. These are both two thumbs up! Looking for another channel …

[@stuffandwhiskey]

We’re completely double blind so snobby is a bit off base and a little insulting truthfully speaking. There are people in the world who don’t like tacos. Nothing is for everyone. Taste is entirely subjective. Erin has given Pappy 23 thumbs down in double blinds because she simply doesn’t like the profile. That doesn’t make her snobby. It makes her honest. We’ll always be 100% honest regardless of whether it gets views and clicks or not. Whether you stay or go is up to you. Either way, all the best.

[@TheTurtlee1]

I've had several Russell's Reserve 10yr and they ALL tasted different. I have 2 on my shelf now: 1 is a vanilla bomb from nose to finish, the other is a rounded oak fest.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Whiskey is definitely an inexact science, and getting two batches to taste identical is almost impossible (even for batched products like Russell's 10). Great point!

[@WhiskyForBeginners]

It's amazing how close they do get from batch to batch. Those people have marvelous palates.

[@connieharris6553]

Erin is hilarious

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Josh here. She's the best, right? Cheers and thanks for watching Connie!

[@877-MASH-NOW]

WHISKEY CHEERS 😎

[@josephsantangelo2801]

I have Russells 10. I’m half way through it. Wish someone would break in and take nothing else other than my Russells 10. I wouldn’t file a police report.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

😂😂

[@davidteller7681]

I really like Weller 12 although it seldom does well in blinds

[@chads5968]

I wouldn't buy Weller 12 if it was readily available on the shelf. To be honest, I'm not a fan of RR 10 either.

[@umami0247]

The 10 year is ok but the single barrel is better. Weller 12 is just okay at best.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Single barrel Russell’s are definitely where it’s at!

[@jonathansantana6239]

I enjoy your vids, but that was a poor comparison and a inaccurate analogy. Blind or not wheated whiskey usually tends to be sweeter than rye. If your palate favors rye, then the wheated isn't going to taste as good to you. It's like blind tasting seltzer water and coconut water. No offense intended.

[@erinalaine]

To be fair, things that seem like they "should" be easy to distinguish can oftentimes not be so obvious when tasting completely blind. The explanation for why these two were compared against each other begins at 8:13 if you're interested.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

As Erin said, on paper you're not wrong, but in practical application we we couldn't disagree more. We've got several hundred blind tastings under our belts that inform this opinion. We'd highly recommend everyone try some blinds and see if they could identify a rye-based bourbon vs wheat-based bourbon. Most experts can't, and would readily admit it.

[@jonathansantana6239]

I agree to disagree. I blind my whiskey s every other weekend, and I have a pretty descent collection. May the whiskey gods bless you in 2024.

[@rpredl]

I think it’s called corn syrup ,that fake sugar taste.

[@brianclick7080]

RR is always on the shelf at home. I really like it. Solid price and taste.

[@jameslenaburg4378]

Not going to get Weller 12 for $50 and can't find it anyway. RR10 all day long.

[@enotrilogy]

12 is such a beautiful 90 proof offering. What 90 proofer do you high recommend in a 2 thumbs way.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

It's not a proof point we love much as things have been so watered down at that point, so very little would get two thumbs up for us. The 2023 Michter's 10 Year Bourbons we've tried would certainly qualify though at 94.4 proof.

[@chrishunter2323]

Double blind is pointless to those of us including yourselves have tasted so many different types of whiskey. The entire Weller/BT line has its own DNA that’s distinct from everything else… just label it, you know what it is.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Strongly disagree. If you can pick out a pour with any level of accuracy out of hundreds of possible bottles then you should be a professional whiskey taster. Even those who are pros can't do that, Matt Madness on ADHD Whiskey every year proves that even most experienced tasters can't do that, and we're constantly surprised here on the channel as well in these double blinds.

[@brianclick7080]

I would love to sit and share a pour with you guys. You two crack me up.

[@stuffandwhiskey]

Cheers and thanks so much for always watching and commenting Brian!