Bourbon Heritage Month 2020 Day 11: Elmer T. Lee

Sep 11

Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon

A single barrel in honor of the man who created the single barrel (Blanton’s). Mr. Elmer T. Lee, who passed in 2013, worked at what is now Buffalo Trace for half a century and set the stage for many of the greatest experiments in the bourbon and American whiskey industries. It’s a great tribute to him to use the same mashbill that he made famous (#2), and a beautiful, squat, simple bottle that fits on every collector’s shelf.

Buffalo Trace

45% ABV/90 Proof

NAS, Mashbill 2

Eye: Honey color, thick rims that quickly bleed thick, syrupy legs.

Nose: Vanilla, caramel and rye spice without the herbal or bready notes. Mulling spices fill the nostrils.

Palate: Vanilla and caramel again - here the mashbill 2 is more apparent in the beginning but is quickly joined by bubblegum, baked sweet bread, caramelized red fruit. Bourbon and red fruit keep building sip by sip. Mouthfeel is coating, tingly, and filling.

Finish: Medium length, think Juicy Fruit gum if the flavors were real fruits. A hint of cinnamon and nutmeg at the back of the throat.

Overall: Elmer T. Lee bourbon is a great tribute to the creator of Blanton’s and longtime master distiller at what is now Buffalo Trace Distillery.

Rating: 7.4

10 | Insurpassable | Nothing Else Comes Close (Blanton’s Straight from the Barrel)

9 | Incredible | Extraordinary (GTS, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof B518 and B520)

8 | Excellent | Exceptional (12+YO MGP Bourbon, Highland Park Single Barrels)

7 | Great | Well above average (Blanton’s Original, Old Weller Antique, Booker’s)

6 | Very Good | Better than average (Four Roses Small Batch Select, Knob Creek 14+ YO Picks)

5 | Good | Good, solid, ordinary (Elijah Craig Small Batch, Buffalo Trace, Old Grand-Dad Bottled-in-Bond)

4 | Sub-par | Many things I’d rather have (A.D. Laws Four Grain, Compass Box “Oak Cross”)

3 | Bad | Flawed (Iron Smoke Bourbon, Balcones)

2 | Poor | Forced myself to drink it (Buckshee Bourbon and Rye)

1 | Disgusting | Drain pour (Virginia Distilling Co. Cider Cask)