Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon


Single Barrel Bourbon and Elmer T. Lee

by Tim Brinkmann
VIP Williamson County Magazine- June Issue, p.26


Congratulations Tim! Recently, Tim Brinkman became the new Wine, Spirits, and Beer columnist for VIP Williamson County Magazine! Here you can find sneak peaks of the articles that will appear under the "On the Brink Wine Column with Brinkmann's" in the VIP Williamson County Magazine.

 

Having just commemorated two years of business in May, Brinkmann’s Wine and Spirits is ready to celebrate! Although everyday should be a champagne and sparkling wine day in my book, we are entering the ultimate celebration season! With grand festivities such as graduations and weddings fast approaching, some find it difficult to select celebratory beverages that will satisfy a range of palates. Champagne is the obvious pick for these special occasions; however, if you are searching for something unique, opt for a mild and smooth spirit.

I suggest Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon. This is one of my all-time favorite bottles of bourbon. It is medium gold/cherry in color; the nose brings notes of butterscotch, toffee, vanilla, and old, soft leather. The big body bares a palate with an almost cognac-like character that balances intense fruits, honey, and spiced vanilla with a light toasty oak that shows off the distiller’s craft. The finish is long and warm.

A Bit about Bourbon
Each barrel of Bourbon is faintly different, and the whiskey in it acquires a slightly different flavor. Furthermore, the location of the stored barrel in the warehouse can make a considerable difference in how the whiskey ages. Typically, when a distiller bottles Bourbon, he collects several hundred, perhaps several thousand barrels. These are “dumped” together, chilled and filtered, cut with water, then bottled to make a reliably uniform whiskey. The master distiller periodically samples the barreled whiskey, especially those in the best part of the warehouse, usually in the very center known as the “heart”. Those barrels containing unusually fine whiskey are recorded and tracked with care. They are allowed to mature in years far beyond the average Bourbon. Once they reach their peak of perfection, they are taken from the warehouse, one by one, and bottled one barrel at a time.


The Godfather of Single Barrel Bourbon 
This idea was first developed by long-time master distiller Elmer T. Lee, the “Godfather of single barrel bourbon”. He persuaded management to follow his experiment of taking especially good barrels and bottle from them a single barrel at a time. Under Elmer’s guidance, the first single barrel Bourbon, “Blanton’s”, came on the market in 1984 (Brinkmann’s first selection of Single Barrel Bourbon).

Elmer chooses those barrels that go into Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon as well as his Rare Single Barrel Bourbon and namesake Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon. Elmer has since retired (he just celebrated his 90th birthday), yet still plays an active role – so active that he assisted me in selecting my own barrel of Elmer T. Lee Bourbon. The whiskey went into the barrel on March 7, 2000; it was “dumped” or bottled on December 22, 2009 and I received the early Christmas present on December 24. The barrel yielded 216 bottles.

So there you have it! For any celebration, Brinkmann’s Wine and Spirits is sure to carry your favorite wine, spirit or high gravity beer. We can help you find the perfect beverage for a perfect night.