Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel

Bourbon Review #3: Elmor T. Lee Single Barrel 

Category: Go-To

Price: $32

Availability: Year Round, everywhere

Proof: 90, 45% avb

Mashbill: B.T. #2  (higher percentage of rye than the standard B.T. #1 mashbill)

Distillery: Buffalo Trace


     Up for my next review, is the Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel. I have compared several great go-to bourbons with this label. Despite there best efforts, none of them have been able to debunk Elmer T. Lee as my #1 go-to bourbon.  

     I believe that this bourbon is every bit as good as Blanton's, Eagle Rare, Basil Hayden among other top shelf verities. At $32 a bottle, it can be significantly less in price when compared to the above mentioned labels. There are other reasons for its title of #1 go-to, but we will get to those in a bit.

     Over a fifty year period, Kentucky native Elmer T. Lee, was an instrumental part in the development of the Buffalo Trace distillery. He started working there as a maintenance engineer 1949. He eventually worked his way up to become the plant manager, and then went on to be the plant's Master Distiller. In 1984, Mr. Lee introduced the world to it's first single barrel bourbon concept with the addition of Blanton's Single Barrel. Not long after that, Elmer himself was honored with his own single barrel namesake. Since that time, both labels have been recipients of the highest world wide acclaim and honors.   

     Let me take a moment to explain what singe barrel bourbon is for you folks that might not know. I'll oversimplify it in order to make a point. One barrel is used for the end product. Basically, the barrels that go into these expressions have not been married with other barrels. This differs from the way bourbon is typically mass produced. By contrast the more standard "large batch" method makes use of hundreds of barrels, by dumping them into holding tanks where they lie dormant until bottling.  

     Mr. Lee was very selective about the rick-house (barrel storing warehouse) aging facilities on the B.T. property. He felt as though rick-house C, I and K yielded a flavor profile that was unique to his single barrel concept. He also felt that certain floors within the rick-houses produced better results in quality control. This is due to the concept of heat rising. During the summer months in KY, the top floors experience higher amounts of heat, while the lower floors experience less. The reverse is true during the winter months. Because of this Elmer felt that the middle floors were experiencing less dramatic fluctuations in temperature and humidity. He selected these middle floors for his premium lines of bourbon as they were capable of consistently producing better aged products.

       
     Mr. Lee retired from Buffalo Trace in 1985. He continued to serve as an ambassador and Master Distiller Emeritus. His work and legacy have been honored by his induction into the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of fame in 2001, his receipt of the Life Time Achievement Award from both Whisky Advocate and Whisky Magazine and other recognitions.

     Mr. Lee passed away in the summer of 2013 at the age of 93. He was reportedly serving at Buffalo Trace and tasting barrels until his death. Shortly after his passing, I noticed a spike in sales of his label. I feel that this was due to the hype surrounding his death in the bourbon world. Buffalo Trace has assured me that they are making great efforts to maintain his line of bourbon with the upmost care and attention to detail. Despite his passing, the Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel line will prevail into the future.

     E.T. Lee is not part of a limited release, and it is available with full distribution year-round. However, It can be a little tricky to find. If you would like to pick up a bottle of this expression, but can't find it in your location, I would recommend the following; Find a liquor store that carries Buffalo Trace products, talk to the store manager, and let him/her know that you would like to place an order for this label.       

     

     
     Overall: this label has all of the flavors that you would come to expect in a nice bourbon. What makes it so special? The flavors are so tightly concentrated. I honestly had a hard time separating them on the pallet. 


     Why didn't the other expressions measure up? It's splitting hairs, but the Even Williams 10 year lacked concentration, the Elijah Craig 12 year had a bit to much barrel acidity, the AAA 10 year became discontinued, and the Weller 12 year was a bit on the sweet side while lacking maturity (despite its 12 years in the barrel). And so on....you get the idea. 

     The Colonel's score is a solid 8. Takeaway: BUY THIS IF YOU CAN, WHILE YOU CAN!!!