In case you want to find out more about Colonel Albert Blanton,the namesake of this bourbon, and what the legendary Warehouse H is all about, then make sure to check out my the Blanton’s Special Reserve.

Facts

Blanton’s Straight From the Barrel

Nose

Full, rich and powerful. A lot of vanilla fudge. Apple pie, cinnamon, citrus fruits and orange drops. As well as some pencil sharpenings. Rounded off by black honey.

Taste

Creamy and oily. A lot of honey and citrus fruits. Accompanied by buttered salted popcorn and oak. Gets really spicy then (from the rye?).

Finish

Long and strong. Drying. Charred oak and citrus fruits.

Overall

A rich palate followed by a superb finish. The high strength is noticeable but not overpowered.

Score: 92/100

But now let’s see if the higher strength makes a real difference.

Facts

Buffalo Trace (45%)

Nose

Full and warming. A lot of honey. Caramelized orange peels with brown sugar and cinnamon on vanilla cream. Hints of mint, oak and cherries.

Taste

Smooth and silky with vanilla infused honey, brown sugared cherries followed by a touch of cinnamon toffee. Then toasted oak and pepper come through.

Finish

Medium with vanilla, cinnamon and spicy mint.

Overall

Now we are talking! This might be still a entry level expression, but the higher strength makes a real difference – fuller, intenser and just better all around.

Score: 87 / 100

The name comes from William Larue Weller, who is thought to be the first distiller to use wheat in bourbon. His wholesaling company, W. L. Weller & Sons, was eventually taken over by Julian “Pappy” Van Winkle Sr., one of the company’s salesman, and his friend Alex Farnsley. Afterwards they took also over the A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery, which made bourbon for Weller, and eventually formed the Stitzel-Weller Distillery. In 1972, the distillery along with its brands W. L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell and Cabin Still were sold to other companies but the Van Winkle family kept the rights to the Old Rip Van Winkle brand, which has been shortly introduced before Prohibition. The Stitzel-Weller distillery was eventually closed completely in 1991. Since 2002, the Van Winkle brands are distilled and bottled at the Buffalo Trace Distillery as a joint venture between the Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery company and the Sazerac Company, which purchased the W. L. Weller brand already in 1999.

There are also two other Weller expressions available, the younger W. L. Weller Special Reserve (also bottled at 45% ABV) and the Old Weller Antique (bottled at 53.5% ABV) as part of Buffalo Trace’s annual Antique Collection.

Facts

W. L. Weller 12 Years Old

Nose

Starts smooth and sweet with fresh vanilla, soft caramel and cherries. Fresh oak is there, but more in the background. A thimble of lime juice. Then more vanilla, caramel and cherries. Leaves you with the impression of sitting in a dusty leather chair with a bowl of sugared cereal and banana slices.

Taste

Soft and silky. Dark fruits, vanilla caramel and cherries. Gets stronger and dryer towards the end with spicy oak.

Finish

Long and sweet with more vanilla caramel followed by dry oak.

Overall

Easy-going and balanced with a nice amount of complexity. Well made from start to finish!

Score: 91 / 100

The man whose name it carries, the now passed away Elmer T. Lee, was a true icon and pioneer in the world of bourbon whiskey and his biography reads pretty much like a modern version of the American dream. Lee was born in 1919 on a tobacco farm in Kentucky. He graduated from high school in 1936 and worked afterwards in a shoe company. He joined the U. S. Army Air Force as a radar bombardier in 1941 and was honorably discharged in 1946. He turned back home, studied engineering at the University of Kentucky and graduated with honors in 1949.

Afterwards he was hired by Colonel Albert B. Blanton, who was back then president of the George T. Stagg Distillery (Buffalo Trace since 1999). Lee started as a maintenance engineer but worked his way up through the ranks until he became manager of the distillery in 1968. His biggest accomplishment was probably the introduction of the world’s first single-barrel bourbon since the time when bourbon was sold to costumers by the barrel. The name of this single barrel bourbon: Blanton’s, in honor of Colonel Blanton. Blanton’s was first released in 1984. Only one year later Lee retired but he remained involved in the distillery as master distiller emeritus. He was in turn honored with a single barrel bourbon bearing his name in 1992, seven years after his official retirement. Lee helped to select the barrels for his namesake brand until he passed away in 2013 at the age of 93, only a few weeks before his 94th birthday.

The Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel is made from the same mash bill as the Blanton’s but is said to be aged for a longer time, somewhere between 9 and 14 years according to different sources.

Buffalo Trace released in 2014 a limited commemorative edition at 46.5% ABV (93 proof) in memory of Elmer T. Lee.

Facts

Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel

Nose

A delicate mix of toffee, vanilla and maple syrup. But there is also a certain spiciness to it, which might comes from the rye. Followed by dried cherries and apricots. Hints of charred wood and leather in the back.

Taste

Peaches and apricots soaked in raisin liqueur. Again maple syrup. Carefully balanced by fresh oak and a few black peppercorns.

Finish

Long and drying. Oak, leather and hints of tobacco leaves.

Overall

Deep and rich, yet very accessible. Nothing is overpowering, everything is in the right place. A truly well-balanced bourbon of subtle elegance.

Score: 91 / 100

Facts

Eagle Rare 10 Years Old Single Barrel

Nose

Pretty strong with a good deal of fresh oak. Roasted vanilla beans. Hints of orange liqueur combined with a fruity touch. Coconut and honey. Then the oak comes back again.

Taste

Dry and pretty strong. Honeyed almonds paired with dried berries. A considerable amount of spicy oak before some very delicate saltiness kicks in.

Finish

Long with a lot of oaky dryness. Hints of cacao. A salty tingle on the tongue.

Overall

A truly well-aged and rich bourbon with a distinctive salty touch. Very pleasant and delightful. Bold like an eagle!

Score: 89 / 100

So let’s start with their flagship bottling Buffalo Trace. The name is a reference to what the distillery claims was once an ancient buffalo crossing over the Kentucky River on whose banks the distillery is located. This bourbon was introduced in 1999 after the renaming of the distillery and was originally bottled at 45% ABV. However the bottling strength was reduced back in 2013 to only 40% ABV, something other distillers also did in order to keep up with the every increasing demand for bourbon.

The Buffalo Trace Bourbon is made from corn, rye and barley malt. It is aged for at least 8 years in the middle floors of Warehouse C, where its experiences the most temperature changes.

Facts

Buffalo Trace (40%)

Nose

A very bright aroma of honeyed cereals, joined by cinnamon buns. With some time, mint takes a seat in the front row. Now also green apple peel and some vanilla toffee fudge. Hints of fresh oak in the background.

Taste

Smooth and honey-sweet but a bit thin. Spiced rum chocolate and a bit of apple toffee. Again oaky undertones.

Finish 

Not very long, almost too short. Rather sweet with a whiff of cinnamon and a minty ending.

Overall

A solid, well-crafted and easy to sip bourbon. Definitely on the sweet side of the things without any detectable rye influence. Leaves me wondering how the old 45% version was like.

Score: 82 / 100