Pairing Weller Full Proof with Pipeline

The Whiskey: We have a heavy hitter on our hands this week – Weller Full Proof. This bottle is about as well known as a bottle can be, but for a brief introduction – a product of Buffalo Trace, the Weller Full Proof is the “blue-label” bottle in the Weller lineup. Weller is Buffalo Trace’s wheated brand, meaning that in the mash bill, wheat is a higher percentage than rye. Wheaters are typically sweeter and carry less spice, and the Weller lineup is legendary for being particularly delicious.

On the nose, that classic wheater sweetness is up front and obvious. Whisps of brown sugar and vanilla frosting float out of the glass, a delicious opening one-two combo. I find some cherry filling after another few moments, making me think of freshly-baked cherry pie. The brown sugar and frosting note combine into the fragrance of cinnamon rolls freshly baked out of the oven, which is pretty amazing. After a little more exploration, I some fruity notes start to develop, including strawberries and raisins. Hope to find those on the palate!

On the palate, the first thing I notice is the texture – this pour is so buttery and full, really viscous. Surprisingly, the first notes I find are less sweet, though quite good – graham crackers and pecans, alongside freshly-baked oatmeal cookies. This profile is less of a sugar bomb than I was expecting, but that’s not a bad thing. After some swirling, there emerges the taste of buttery toast with strawberry jam and buttery popcorn. Buter seems to be a common theme here, which I don’t think I’ve ever noticed on a whiskey – fascinating stuff! Finally, I start to find some of those sweeter notes I was looking for – fudge brownies and Cinnamon Toast Crunch (yum!).

Finally, the finish is incredibly long, carrying with it that Cinnamon Toast Crunch note and something that reminds me of sugar cookies. I have to say, I’m typically pretty wary of bottles that are so sought after, but I understand the hype with this one – it’s definitely amazing. I’m lucky I was able to get one!

The Game: Pipeline

Pipeline! A 2019 release, designed by Ryan Courtney and published by Capstone Games, had a lot of positive reviews when it came out but seems to have faded from consciousness a little bit – I don’t hear many people talk about it anymore, which is a shame, because it’s really great. In Pipeline, players take on the role of private companies in the oil industry right after oil has been privatized by the government. As a fledgling oil company, you must set up your pipe network, invest in technology, purchase crude oil for refinement, and fulfill contracts, all in the name of profit. This is an unashamedly heavy economic game, themed around making as much money as possible in a highly competitive environment.

What makes Pipeline special is how incredibly tight it is. Each player starts the game with $40 and must build their company from there, and that really is as small an amount of money as it sounds. Pretty much every action you take costs money, and it takes a lot of skill to build that $40 into a system that can make any money at all. Playing Pipeline often feels like you’re fighting to escape a boa constrictor that’s suffocating you – even when you finally get a little breathing room, the cost of keeping that space brings the tightness right back around you. The interaction with other players  adds another layer to this tightness as well – there are many ways in which another player’s actions can cut your legs out from beneath you, intentionally or not. This makes manipulating turn order of vital importance, which offers another layer of strategy. And with all this, I haven’t mentioned the building of the pipeline, which is like a game in itself. Each player’s pipeline network will eventually be a maze of pipes twisting and turning over a surprisingly large amount of table space. Every time a pipe tile is obtained, you have to place in your network, with an eye towards creating as long a pipe as possible for each type of oil. These placements can take a ton of time, because it’s very easy to make a mistake and screw up the effectiveness of your refinement – often a game-losing mistake.

This style of game definitely isn’t for everyone, but for those who love tight, punishing euros, Pipeline is fantastic. In the way it feels to play, it reminds me of Brass: Birmingham and Barrage, two of my favorite games. It’s a different system than those other games, but that tight, restrictive decision space is the same – and I love it.