Buffalo Trace Distillery is honoring late Master Distiller Elmer T. Lee (Former master distiller emeritus for Buffalo Trace Distillery) with a 100th Birthday edition of his namesake bottle, 100 Year Tribute Single Barrel Bourbon. This 100 Year Tribute is still a single barrel bourbon and is made using the same mash bill and age as its standard Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon, but it is bottled at 100 proof rather than 90 proof. Proceeds from this limited-edition bottling will go to the Frankfort VFW Post 4075 where Lee was a member until his death in 2013.
Lee, who died in 2013, was a force behind the revitalization of Buffalo Trace. He began his work at the distillery in 1949 following his graduation, working his way up to Master Distiller and creating beloved brands like Blanton’s. He continued to work as an ambassador for the brands long after his official retirement in 1985. The one-time-only 100 Year Tribute release will have the same mash bill and age as the standard 90 proof Elmer T. Lee bourbon but will be fittingly bottled at 100 proof.
The distillery tells us to expect “This whiskey has the same age and mash bill as the standard Elmer T. Lee, with the classic taste that Elmer would have loved, with a nose of maple syrup up front, a taste of creamy vanilla with berries, and a long finish of coffee, toasted oak, and vanilla.” “What Elmer did for American whiskey is hard to grasp in today’s terms, but in 1984, bourbon was in the doldrums and sales were low,” stated Harlen Wheatley, Buffalo Trace’s current master distiller.
“Elmer took a big risk creating a single barrel bourbon, but he hoped it would generate new interest in bourbon and revive the industry. At first Blanton’s was not popular, and Elmer feared it may not take off. But today, I think it’s safe to say Elmer made a wise move.”
