The highly-anticipated season five premiere of Yellowstone landed this week with a shocking double episode — and while I’ll avoid discussing any spoilers for those who haven’t yet caught up on the western drama, I would like to talk about one aspect of the first episode: the Duttons’ stellar choice of whiskey.
In one particular scene in the premiere episode, “One Hundred Years Is Nothing,” John Dutton (Kevin Costner) is riding in the back of an SUV with daughter Beth Dutton (Kelly Reilly) and son Jamie Dutton (Wes Bentley). The mood is tense, so Beth unzips her purse and hauls out a bottle of whiskey. “Want a whiskey, Daddy?” she asks.
And since that whiskey happens to be Weller 12-Year Bourbon, John naturally accepts the offer...and before you know, it all three Duttons are throwing back this hooch while cruising down the road. So what’s the story behind this whiskey?
Bourbon aficionados are no doubt already familiar with the allure of Weller 12. Part of the Buffalo Trace Distillery family of brands, Weller is the original wheated whiskey, and it used to be both a hidden gem and a major bargain. Before Pappy Van Winkle’s recent resurgence caused the ongoing pandemonium surrounding wheated bourbon, Weller 12 could easily be found on shelves and cost around 20 bucks a bottle. These days, it fetches several hundred from resellers — if you’re lucky enough to even find a bottle.
Obviously, given the Duttons’ powerful connections, they had no problem procuring themselves a bottle of the good stuff. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a whole cabinet full of the stuff back at the ranch. If you, too, want to drink like the Duttons, you can try scoring a bottle of Weller 12 below. Just, y'know, don't drink it behind the wheel.
