Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel is Buffalo Trace's tribute to the master distiller who invented the modern single-barrel bourbon. Made from the distillery's higher-rye Mash Bill #2 and bottled at 90 proof, it's a single-barrel Kentucky straight bourbon known for a lighter, honeyed character — and Elmer himself hand-selected its barrels until 2013. This page gathers the Elmer T. Lee bottles in the vault: the standard release and the special editions marking his life, from the 90th Birthday to the 100 Year Tribute.
- Named for Elmer T. Lee (1919–2013), the Buffalo Trace master distiller who created the first modern single-barrel bourbon — Blanton's — in 1984.
- Introduced in 1986 as a tribute on his retirement; Elmer hand-selected its barrels until his death in 2013.
- A single barrel bourbon — each bottle drawn from one cask.
- Made from Buffalo Trace's Mash Bill #2, the higher-rye recipe shared with Blanton's, Rock Hill Farms and Hancock's President's Reserve.
- Bottled at 90 proof, with a lighter, honeyed profile.
- Released as a standard bottling plus special editions marking Elmer's milestones.
Elmer Tandy Lee joined the George T. Stagg Distillery — now Buffalo Trace — in 1949, hired by Colonel Albert B. Blanton, and kept the place running through the lean years when bourbon had fallen out of fashion. In 1984 he changed the industry, bottling Blanton's, the first bourbon marketed as a single barrel and the template for the premium market that followed. He retired in 1985 as master distiller emeritus, entered the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame in 2001, and kept tasting and selecting barrels until he passed away in 2013, just weeks shy of his 94th birthday.
When Elmer retired, Buffalo Trace honored him with his own bottling — and he kept choosing its barrels himself for nearly thirty years. Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel is drawn from Mash Bill #2, the distillery's higher-rye recipe behind Blanton's, Rock Hill Farms and Hancock's, and bottled one cask at a time at 90 proof. Among that single-barrel family it's the lighter, more honeyed pour — often called the most approachable way into the group.
The Editions
The Elmer T. Lee bottles in the vault — we link each as it's added:
| Standard | |
| Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel | Single barrel · sour mash · 90 proof |
| Special Editions | |
| Elmer T. Lee 90th Birthday Edition | 2009 · single barrel · 90 proof |
| Elmer T. Lee Commemorative 1919–2013 | Issued after his passing · single barrel |
| Elmer T. Lee 100 Year Tribute | 2019 · single barrel · 100 proof |
| Elmer T. Lee Gold Wax Top | Limited gold-top release |
See also Blanton's, the single barrel Elmer created, the Buffalo Trace Distillery collection, and all our bourbon.
Collector Note
The standard Elmer T. Lee is an allocated single barrel that's become hard to find at retail. The special editions are where collectors focus: the 90th Birthday, the Commemorative 1919–2013, and especially the 100-proof 100 Year Tribute are tied to milestones in Elmer's life and trade well above release, with the gold-top among the most prized. Because each is a single barrel, the specific edition, proof and bottle condition all matter.
The Mash Bill #2 Family
Elmer T. Lee is one of four single-barrel bourbons Buffalo Trace draws from Mash Bill #2, its higher-rye recipe: alongside it sit Blanton's (the original, which Elmer created), Rock Hill Farms (bottled at 100 proof), and Hancock's President's Reserve. All four come from the same mash bill and warehouse system but are selected and bottled differently. Elmer T. Lee tends to be the lighter, more honeyed of the group at 90 proof. Each release is a single barrel, so bottle-to-bottle variation is part of the character.
Authentication & Vault Preservation
Every Elmer T. Lee bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authorized, authentic retailer, vault-stored and insured, shipped with protective handling and age-verified 21-and-over signature on delivery, and authenticated by our concierge before it ships. For the details, see the way we verify each bottle, vault storage and the concierge team, and how we source our whiskey.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who was Elmer T. Lee, and what is the bourbon?
Elmer T. Lee (1919–2013) was the Buffalo Trace master distiller who, in 1984, created Blanton's — the first modern single-barrel bourbon — and reshaped the premium whiskey market. When he retired, the distillery honored him with Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, introduced in 1986; he personally hand-selected its barrels until his death. The bourbon is a single-barrel Kentucky straight bourbon made from Buffalo Trace's higher-rye Mash Bill #2, bottled at 90 proof, and known for a lighter, honeyed profile.
What are the different Elmer T. Lee bottles?
Alongside the standard Single Barrel, Buffalo Trace has released special editions marking Elmer's milestones: the 90th Birthday Edition (2009) for his 90th birthday; the Commemorative 1919–2013 bottle issued after his death; and the 100 Year Tribute (2019), a 100-proof bottling for what would have been his 100th birthday. A gold-top release rounds out the special editions. All are single-barrel bourbons from the same Mash Bill #2.
