Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel is Buffalo Trace's tribute to the master distiller who put single barrel bourbon on the shelf, and this bottle dates from 2013, the final year of his life. Each bottle comes from one barrel of Mash Bill #2 bourbon, brought down to 90 proof.
About This Bourbon
The bourbon uses Mash Bill #2, the higher-rye recipe also found in Blanton's, and carries no age statement. Barrels are chosen one at a time to the flavour profile Lee set, then reduced to 90 proof. Bottles from 2013, the year Lee died, carry extra meaning for many drinkers.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Clove, vanilla and old leather.
- Palate: Honey and ripe fruit balanced by vanilla and a light peppery spice.
- Finish: Warm and long, with honey fading into gentle oak.
Serving & Food
Drink it neat or with a single cube at room temperature, in a tumbler or tulip glass. At 45% it is easy going, and it makes a fine Old Fashioned. Try it alongside roast chicken with honey and thyme, Cantonese roast goose or crème brûlée.
How to Enjoy
Fans of Blanton's and Buffalo Trace's rye-forward bourbons, and anyone after a 2013 bottle linked to the man himself.
Product Details
Producer / Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Expression: Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon
Category: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, single barrel
ABV: 90 proof / 45% ABV
Volume: 750mL
Mash bill: Mash Bill #2
Bottling: 2013
Origin: USA
Region: Kentucky
About the Distillery
Buffalo Trace, part of the Sazerac Company, first put Elmer T. Lee's name on a bottle in 1986, two years after he had launched Blanton's as a single barrel bourbon. The label honours the way he worked: tasting barrels one by one and bottling only those that met his standard, rather than blending everything to an average. He kept approving barrels for it into his nineties, until his death in July 2013.
Harlen Wheatley, master distiller today, learned from Lee early in his career. The line has since carried special editions for Lee's centenary in 2019 and for the label's 40th anniversary in 2026.