# Elmer T. Lee goes cask strength at last

> Buffalo Trace is finally bottling its most hunted single barrel bourbon uncut, and the only way in is a lottery.
- Title: Elmer T. Lee goes cask strength at last · Robb Report
- Summary: Buffalo Trace is finally bottling its most hunted single barrel bourbon uncut, and the only way in is a lottery. The 40th Anniversary Elmer T. Lee is the…
- Keywords: bourbon, buffalo trace, whiskey, elmer t. lee, limited release, Elmer, Lee, goes, cask, strength, last, Robb Report
- Source: Robb Report — https://robbreport.com/food-drink/spirits/buffalo-trace-elmer-t-lee-40th-anniversary-bourbon-1238644189
- Author: Jonah Flicker
- Published: 2026-09-14T19:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: bourbon, buffalo trace, whiskey, elmer t. lee, limited release
## More news after Pappy
Buffalo Trace had just unveiled its 2026 Pappy Van Winkle lineup. Then the Kentucky distillery followed it with a second announcement.
## A 40th anniversary bottling
The new release is the Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition, marking four decades of the label named for the distillery's legendary master distiller.
## Cask strength, a first
This is the first time the single barrel bourbon has been bottled uncut and unfiltered at full barrel proof. Every previous release was proofed down.

> the first time that this highly coveted single-barrel bourbon has been released uncut and unfiltered at cask strength
## Still a single barrel
Each bottle comes from one barrel rather than a blend, so proof and flavor shift from barrel to barrel instead of being evened out.
## A lottery, not a shelf
Buying happens through an online lottery that opens the day after the announcement. Elmer T. Lee rarely reaches retail shelves at list price.
## Why collectors chase it
Elmer T. Lee is one of the most coveted bottles Buffalo Trace makes. A cask-strength anniversary version raises the stakes for an already thin supply.
## Key takeaway

The 40th Anniversary Elmer T. Lee is the first cask-strength release of the label, and access runs through an online lottery opening the day after the announcement.