Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Bourbon

Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition Single Barrel Bourbon — Uncut & Unfiltered (2026)

Price

$999.95

✔ Authenticated by the house — seal, fill level, and label inspected before release
✔ Documented provenance on every bottle
✔ Climate-safe, collector-grade packaging

Age: | Region: | Proof:

Secure payments

Vault-to-door shipping

Adult signature (21+) at delivery

1986

Line introduced

2026

Edition released

Barrel per bottle

750 mL

Format

Uncut

No water added

Unfiltered

No chill filtration

Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition is Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel bottled uncut and unfiltered for the first time. Each barrel was drawn without dilution or chill filtration and bottled at its natural proof by Buffalo Trace Distillery, which released the edition in September 2026, forty years after introducing Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel in 1986 to honor its former Master Distiller.

Nº 01

The Elemental Distinction

Uncut — the barrel's proof is the bottle's proof, because no water goes in between the two.

Unfiltered — the bourbon goes into the bottle without chill filtration.

One barrel per bottle. Each bottle holds a single barrel selected by the distillery; strength and character vary from barrel to barrel.

Forty years of the label. Buffalo Trace introduced Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel in 1986, the year after Lee retired; this edition marks its 40th anniversary.

The label records each bottle's strength, with its own entries for alcohol by volume and proof.

Nº 02

Elmer T. Lee, 1919–2013

Engineer, distiller, barrel selector

Elmer Tandy Lee came to the George T. Stagg Distillery — the Frankfort plant now named Buffalo Trace — in 1949 as a maintenance engineer, after serving in World War II as a radar bombardier and earning an engineering degree at the University of Kentucky. He worked up through plant engineer and plant superintendent to plant manager and Master Distiller, and in 1984 introduced Blanton's Single Barrel as a tribute to Colonel Albert B. Blanton. He retired in 1985. A year later the distillery put his name on Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, and as Master Distiller Emeritus he went on selecting its barrels into his later years. He died in 2013, shortly before his 94th birthday.

Nº 03

Sensory Profile & Strategy

Distiller notes & position

Sensory Profile

The distillery's single tasting note for the edition's barrels: apricot, almond, vanilla, toasted coconut and honeysuckle, then a rich, chewy palate with a sweetness Buffalo Trace likens to crème brûlée, and a long finish of toasted oak and baking spice. With a different barrel and strength in every bottle, each leans its own way within that outline.

Strategic Position

Within the Elmer T. Lee line it is the barrel-strength counterpart to the standard 90-proof Elmer T. Lee bottling; the line's 2019 100 Year Tribute, by comparison, was bottled at 100 proof. Buffalo Trace connects the uncut presentation to the way Lee evaluated barrels for the Blanton's single barrel he introduced in 1984.

Nº 04

Collector Note & Index

Vault provenance

→

A Bottle Draw Release

Announced from Frankfort on September 14, 2026, the edition was sold through Buffalo Trace's first Bottle Draw, hosted by the distillery gift shop: online registration from September 15 to 17, a random selection of entrants, then in-person purchases at the distillery from September 28 to October 11, one 750 mL bottle per selected entrant.

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Reading the Label

On the front label, “40 Year Anniversary” sits above “Honoring Elmer T. Lee's First Single Barrel Sour Mash”; the band beneath names the whiskey “Uncut and Unfiltered Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey” and leaves room for the bottle's alcohol by volume and proof. The back label names Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, as distiller, ager and bottler of the 750 mL bottle.

Collector IndexMW VAULT

Distillery: Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Line: Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, since 1986
Edition: 40th Anniversary, September 2026
Selection: Single barrel
Presentation: Uncut, unfiltered
Format: 750 mL

Find it in Midnight Whiskey's bourbon collection, beside the standard Elmer T. Lee and the Blanton's bottlings.

Nº 05

Technical Specifications

Specification	Detail
Distillery	Buffalo Trace Distillery, Frankfort, Kentucky
Brand	Elmer T. Lee
Line	Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, introduced 1986
Class	Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Edition	40th Anniversary Edition, released September 2026
Selection	Single barrel, one barrel per bottle
Production method	Uncut and unfiltered: no dilution, no chill filtration
Proof / ABV	124.8–138.6 proof (62.4–69.3% ABV) across the edition's barrels — confirm this bottle's label
Format	750 mL

Nº 06

Records & Assurance

Production Methodology

Buffalo Trace Distillery distilled, aged and bottled the 40th Anniversary Edition in Frankfort, Kentucky, as its label states, bottling each barrel separately at natural barrel proof with no dilution and no chill filtration. Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel itself is produced in limited quantities on an ongoing basis, each barrel released when the distillery judges it ready.

Authentication & Vault Preservation

Every bottle sold through Midnight Whiskey is sourced as an authentic, sealed product and inspected before it ships. Orders are packed with padded, glass-rated handling and require an adult signature (21+) on delivery; we do not ship to anyone unable to verify legal drinking age. For our full sourcing and handling protocols, see our editorial and authentication standards.

Frequently Asked Questions

What proof is Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition?

Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition has no single proof. Each barrel was bottled at its own natural proof with no water added, so the strength differs from bottle to bottle and is stated on each bottle's label.

How was Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition released?

Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition was sold through Buffalo Trace Distillery's first Bottle Draw, hosted by the distillery gift shop in Frankfort, Kentucky. Registration ran from September 15 to 17, 2026, entrants were then drawn at random, and each one selected could buy one 750 mL bottle in person at the distillery between September 28 and October 11, 2026.

How is Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition different from Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel?

Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition is Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel bottled at full barrel strength, with no water added and no chill filtration. The standard Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel, introduced by Buffalo Trace in 1986, is bottled at 90 proof.

Midnight Whiskey · The Vault Elmer T. Lee · 40th Anniversary Edition

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Elmer T. Lee

The Elemental Distinction

Elmer T. Lee, 1919–2013