Great whiskey is all about timing. The fact that Buffalo Trace have released a spelt wheat whiskey at a time when heirloom grains are in the zeitgeist is testament to the distillery's perception.
Daniel Weller Spelt Wheat puts one of humanity’s most important grains in a bottle. Spelt has been cultivated for thousands of years, although mostly in Europe. It’s prominent in small-scale farming and artisanal baking, but less so in distilling.
That’s nothing to do with the flavor, but more to do with yield and expense. Spelt is not only expensive, but it also yields less sugar than your typical grains (corn, maize, barley). Those facts go a long way to explaining this release’s limited nature and its price. At $549.99, this whiskey is one of the priciest on the market (at least direct from the distillery), but due to the sheer popularity of anything from the Weller family, expect to pay much more on the secondary market.
There’s also a booming interest in alternative grains, with Star Hill Farm from Maker’s Mark making waves with its own wheat whiskey in 2025. As usual, Buffalo Trace was well ahead of the curve. The Daniel Weller Spelt Wheat has been maturing for ten years. That’s a long time in new oak barrels, although Buffalo Trace is keen to hammer home the impact of the grain rather than the cask.
“Rather than leaning on barrel innovation, we chose to strip the process back and let the wheat speak for itself,” says the aptly named Harlen Wheatley, master distiller at Buffalo Trace Distillery. “By avoiding specialized barrel treatments and techniques, we were able to focus on how spelt wheat’s natural sweetness and distinct character influence the Weller mashbill. Its nuanced profile makes it ideal for experiments where the grain’s personality is meant to shine.”
Notes are said to include freshly baked cookies, clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, light fresh fruit, subtle leather, butterscotch, caramel, vanilla, and oak. We’ll let you know if one of our expert tasters scores a sample, and link it here.
Daniel Weller Spelt Wheat will be available in limited quantities starting March 2026 at a suggested retail price of $549.99 (750ml)
