Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon

Bourbon’s exploding popularity has created a radically unequal distribution of interest and demand. In the bourbon world, the rich got richer, and then even richer, and the gap between the most coveted brands (Pappy, for instance) and other high-quality bourbons has grown into a chasm. Elmer T. Lee is one of the minor robber barons of this era — putatively a $40 bottle, I’ve only seen it at one liquor store in Miami for a whopping $200 a bottle. Is it worth the hype? It’s a good bourbon, but $40-50 is about right. The nose unveils pronounced caramel, vanilla, and Werther’s candies, but with a bit more ethanol than expected. In contrast, the palate is smooth and mellow, with sweet notes of corn and caramel dominant. The finish is not particularly short or long and tastes like buttered, charred corn and caramel. This bourbon does not have much fruitiness or oak, those sweet corn and dessert notes really dominate here, which reminds me of Russell’s Reserve. In other words, it’s good, but hasn’t quite earned the vaunted status that it currently enjoys.