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W.L. Weller 12 Year vs Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
W.L. Weller 12 Year and Maker’s Mark Cask Strength sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus an uncut, wheat-forward heavyweight.
Key Specifications
| Feature | W.L. Weller 12 Year | Maker’s Mark Cask Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon, Barrel Proof |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 70% corn, 16% wheat, 14% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 110 proof (55% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$70 – $180 | ~$40 – $50 ~$80 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- W.L. Weller 12 Year does not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
W.L. Weller 12 Year
No notes yet.
Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
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Flavor Profile
W.L. Weller 12 Year Maker’s Mark Cask Strength
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 3/7 heat: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 7 out of 10
oak 7/5 oak: W.L. Weller 12 Year 7 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/9 sweetness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 8 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 9 out of 10
spice 2/3 spice: W.L. Weller 12 Year 2 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: W.L. Weller 12 Year 6 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 5 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, Maker’s Mark Cask Strength 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Proof and heat dominate the difference.
- W.L. Weller 12 Year: Twelve years on a wheated mash at a modest 90 proof, which is the combination that made this bottle famous. Deep caramel and baked fruit with polished rather than aggressive oak — the closest widely-discussed analogue to the Pappy profile.
- Maker’s Mark Cask Strength: Undiluted Maker's, and the version that finally gives the wheated recipe some weight. Dense caramel and honey with real warmth, and one of the more affordable cask-strength bottles anywhere.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with W.L. Weller 12 Year if you want age and elegance on a wheated mash, and you are willing to chase it.
- Go with Maker’s Mark Cask Strength if you want wheated sweetness at full strength for well under what most cask-strength bourbons cost without hunting for it.
Best enjoyed neat (W.L. Weller 12 Year); neat, rocks (Maker’s Mark Cask Strength).