Few bourbons carry the namesake of their master distiller, but when they do, it’s a testament to the influence they’ve had on the product. Such is the case of Elmer T. Lee bourbon, a sensational sip named after the legendary master distiller himself. Lee was a pioneer, an innovator and ultimately, a whiskey wizard whose expertise and penchant for perfection helped shape the U.S. bourbon industry.
Elmer T. Lee was born in 1919 on a tobacco farm in Kentucky. After serving in WWII, he began working at the George T. Stagg Distillery, now known as the Buffalo Trace Distillery, in 1949. Lee quickly climbed the ranks, became a Master Distiller, and remained with the company until his retirement in 1985. However, it was in 1984 that he made his most significant contribution.
Inspired by the aging techniques of single malt scotch, Lee introduced the concept of single barrel bourbon with Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon. To honor his legacy, Buffalo Trace Distillery launched the Elmer T. Lee bourbon, a single barrel variant, which carries his signature on the label.
Unique to the Buffalo Trace roster, Elmer T Lee Bourbon is a part of Buffalo’s high-rye Mashbill #2 family, which includes classics like Blanton’s and Rock Hill Farms. Mashbill #2 is an enigmatic recipe with a higher rye content, complementing the sweet corn base with a spicier component. Still, Elmer T. Lee stands apart from its siblings with its exquisite flavoring, developed using Lee’s unique methodology. Each barrel is select-picked to ensure the most excellent smoothness, nuanced tastes, and consistent quality – a tip of the hat to Lee’s craftsmanship.
Elmer T. Lee has garnered an esteemed reputation among whiskey critics. This crowd pleaser has been widely praised for balancing sweetness and complexity, letting enthusiasts taste the innovation and tradition that Buffalo Trace is globally renowned for. Remember, though, while we can gush about the bourbon all day, we’re not here to provide tasting notes; your personal experience with the whiskey is the only review that truly counts.
Generally, reviews on Elmer T. Lee are mixed, but Breaking Bourbon puts it best:
Despite Elmer T. Lee’s single barrel moniker, the bourbon itself has never been a particularly exciting bourbon. Yet, as Buffalo Trace started to heavily allocate it, it became an elusive must-have bourbon with an almost mythical reputation.
– Breaking Bourbon
What is Elmer T. Lee’s Retail Price?
Now comes the question – is Elmer T. Lee worth its price tag? MSRP runs typically around $35-$40, which is affordable, right? Wrong.
Finding a bottle of Elmer anywhere near MSRP is a treasure.The release frequency of the bourbon isn’t on a strict schedule, creating a sense of allure and pent-up demand whenever it graces the shelves.
Currently, a bottle of Elmer T. Lee is averaging a retail price of $167.84 (which is a fair price). On the high end, you may be spending as much as $329.87.
The moniker really is true: “Elmer T. Lee is the best $30 whiskey that $250 can buy.”
Elmer T. Lee ’90’th Birthday Edition
No discussion of Elmer T. Lee can be complete without a brief mention of Elmer’s 90th birthday edition. Noted as #17 on our list of the Most Expensive Bourbons in the World, this whiskey was released in select quantities to commemorate what would have been the 90th birthday of the late Elmer T Lee.
This limited edition single barrel sour mash bourbon highlights the legacy that the master distiller left at Buffalo Trace. With no age statement and released in 2009, this bourbon clocks in at 90 proof and is super rare. If it weren’t for the limited-edition nature of this cult classic, it would not make it on our list of the most expensive bourbon.
Want a bottle? Good luck. These are currently running costing around $10,195 on the secondary market.
