Boy, this one was special. I got to attend the first press event for the release of Daniel Weller Emmer Wheat. I’ve loved Weller pretty much since my buddy Eric put me onto it, and was probably the last man in America to pick up a bottle for under $50. I understand the brand’s changing relationship with long-time whiskey drinkers, so when Tasting Table tasked me with picking up a glass and deciding if it was worth the high price tag, I had to think carefully about my decision. Yes, it’s a great whiskey. No, it’s not cheap. Yes, there’s some truth to the idea that anything over a couple hundred bucks is just prestige and collectability. Most whiskey drinkers reacted with a pretty highly raised eyebrow to this release, but they also complain about stuff like BTAC getting priced at somewhat normal prices then shot to the moon on spec rather than just released at a high price tag so it’s there for whoever wants to pay a more normalized going rate.
…there’s just no pleasing the market.
Anyway, read on to find out which side I settled on, but I’m not spoiling anything to tell you this is a most lovely bourbon.