Weller C.Y.P.B. Bourbon Whiskey Review
(photos by Outsider)
W.L. Weller’s C.Y.P.B. (Craft Your Perfect Bourbon) is Buffalo Trace Distillery’s “crowd-sourced” creation. First released in 2018, Weller C.Y.P.B. was produced after thousands of Wellerites (I think I just made that word up) expressed their opinions via online survey as to what constituted their perfect bourbon, including variables such as mashbill, proof, warehouse location, and age.
The masses spoke—and Buffalo Trace delivered Weller C.Y.P.B., a wheated bourbon, aged for eight years on the highest warehouse floor, and bottled at 95 proof.
Did the masses get it right? Let’s get sipping.
At a Glance
- Distillery: Buffalo Trace
- Location: Frankfort, Kentucky
- Style: Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
- Age: 8 Years
- Mashbill: Wheated Recipe
- Proof: 95
- MSRP: $49.99
- Website | Instagram
Weller C.Y.P.B. Review: What We Say
| Nose | butterscotch, rich oak, cherry, peach, grapefruit zest, tobacco |
| Palate | buttery brown sugar, oak char, vanilla, cinnamon, cherry cobbler |
| Finish | medium-long, toffee, cinnamon, warm leather |
| What You Can Expect to Pay | $500+ |
| Buy It: Now, Soon, Later, Never | Now (under $100) |
| Outsider Rating | 92/100 |
The first whiff of Weller C.Y.P.B. is a sweet treat, notably butterscotch and rich oak char, with nary a hint of alcohol. A deeper nosedive yields floral scents of fruit, namely ripe cherry with a bit of peach. Then there’s a refreshing hint of grapefruit zest, before sweet tobacco caps the nose. Marvelous. P.S., After I finished sipping, I went back to the nose for more of the fragrant sweet tobacco that permeated my neat glass. What a treat.
On the palate, C.Y.P.B. delivers a lead-off hit of buttery brown sugar and rich oak char. Have you ever made your own butterscotch sauce by melting butter over low heat and adding dark brown sugar? This is that. A sprinkle of vanilla and sweet cinnamon follows, before chewing unleashes fresh-baked cherry cobbler. It’s rich and mouth-watering. Just melts in your mouth.
The medium-long finish lingers with toffee and sweet cinnamon. And just when you think it’s over, you get a touch of rich leather to remind you of its decadence (rich Corinthian leather, anyone?). This bourbon’s only knock—well, two knocks. It needs a bit more proof heat, for me, personally. And it’s so hard to find this bottle at a decent price (under $100). But if you do, snatch it up.
What Buffalo Trace Says About C.Y.P.B.
A few years ago we asked whiskey drinkers to “Craft Your Perfect Bourbon” (C.Y.P.B.) online by visiting www.yourperfectbourbon.com and choosing their ideal bourbon recipe, proof, warehouse location, and age. Thousands chose wheated bourbon, just like William Larue Weller did years ago. This limited edition whiskey is the result of the overwhelming consensus—a wheated recipe bourbon, aged on the highest warehouse floors for eight years and bottled at 95 proof.
Recommended Sip
Neat. End of discussion. If Buffalo Trace truly “crowd-sourced” this creation, they should be applauded. I was entertained.
Need More Kick on the Finish?
Weller Antique sips like a slightly more robust version of C.Y.P.B. Antique delivers that spicy cinnamon kick on the finish and a touch of added proof heat that’s absent in the C.Y.P.B. Many wheaters are gonna find Antique’s 107 proof to be the perfect spot between C.Y.P.B. (95 proof) and W.L. Weller Full Proof (114).