A 2016 bottling of Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, the 90 proof Kentucky straight bourbon Buffalo Trace named after its long-serving master distiller. Every bottle is filled from one barrel, chosen to the rounded, honeyed style Lee himself preferred.
About This Bourbon
The 2016 release follows the same pattern as every Elmer T. Lee: Mash Bill #2, the distillery's higher-rye bourbon recipe, matured in new charred oak and bottled at 45% ABV with no age statement. Single barrel means each cask is emptied and bottled on its own rather than blended into a larger batch, so small differences in spice and sweetness are part of the appeal. Bottles from the mid-2010s are now well regarded for their depth and balance.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Honey and vanilla, with clove, dried apricot and a leathery edge.
- Palate: Rounded and gently sweet. Caramel, ripe stone fruit and baking spice, then a clean line of rye pepper.
- Finish: Medium to long, with oak, tobacco and a last touch of honey.
Serving & Food
Pour into a tulip glass and let it breathe for five minutes. It also takes a single cube well and makes a gentle Old Fashioned. Roast pork loin with apple, or apple crumble.
How to Enjoy
Drinkers who like a gentle, fruit-led bourbon, and anyone putting together a vertical of Elmer T. Lee bottlings.
Product Details
Producer / Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Expression: Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon
Category: Kentucky straight bourbon whiskey
Country: USA
Region: Frankfort, Kentucky
Mash Bill: Buffalo Trace Mash Bill #2 (higher rye)
Age: No age statement
ABV: 45%
Proof: 90 proof
Volume: 750mL
Bottling: 2016 release
About the Distillery
Buffalo Trace Distillery sits on the banks of the Kentucky River in Frankfort and has been owned by the Sazerac Company since 1992. The site was named a National Historic Landmark in 2013. Elmer Tandy Lee (1919 to 2013) started there in 1949 as a maintenance engineer, worked his way up to master distiller, and in 1984 launched Blanton's, the first bourbon marketed as a single barrel.
When he retired in 1985 the distillery gave him a bourbon of his own. Lee kept tasting and choosing barrels for it well into old age, and the bottling is still picked one cask at a time to the profile he set.