Compare
W.L. Weller 12 Year vs Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
W.L. Weller 12 Year and Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, wheat-forward classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | W.L. Weller 12 Year | Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Wheated Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 72% corn, 18% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | 12 years | No age statement |
| Proof | 90 proof (45% ABV) | 115 proof (57.5% ABV) +25 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$70 – $180 | ~$55 – $70 ~$63 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.
Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
W.L. Weller 12 Year Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
spice 2/7 spice: W.L. Weller 12 Year 2 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10
heat 3/7 heat: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10
fruit 6/5 fruit: W.L. Weller 12 Year 6 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 5 out of 10
sweetness 8/8 sweetness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 8 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 8 out of 10
oak 7/7 oak: W.L. Weller 12 Year 7 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 7 out of 10
nuttiness 3/3 nuttiness: W.L. Weller 12 Year 3 out of 10, Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Rye spice is the dividing line here.
- 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.
- Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style: Dense and syrupy for its age, with molasses and dark chocolate carrying a serious 115-proof punch. The high rye reads as baking spice rather than sharpness, and the body is unusually thick.
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 Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style if you want a rich, high-proof, dessert-leaning bourbon with real weight in the glass at a significantly lower price point.
Best enjoyed neat (W.L. Weller 12 Year); neat, old-fashioned (Old Forester 1920 Prohibition Style).