Forty years is a pretty good run for a bourbon. And when your namesake helped change the way American whiskey was made and marketed, a 40th anniversary deserves something a little more interesting than a cake.

Buffalo Trace Distillery is celebrating 40 years of Elmer T. Lee Bourbon with something whiskey fans are going to appreciate: the first-ever uncut and unfiltered Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon.

In other words, this isn’t the bourbon wearing its Sunday clothes. It comes straight from the barrel, without dilution and without chill filtration, bottled at its natural barrel proof. Depending on the barrel, that means you’re looking at some serious whiskey, ranging from 124.8 to 138.6 proof.

That’s a long way from your average pour.

And for Elmer T. Lee, it seems like a fitting way to celebrate.

Lee joined what was then the George T. Stagg Distillery in 1949 as a maintenance engineer after serving in World War II and graduating from the University of Kentucky. Over the next four decades, he worked his way up to Master Distiller and became one of the most influential figures in modern bourbon.

Then came 1984.

That’s when Lee introduced Blanton’s Single Barrel Bourbon, widely recognized as the world’s first single-barrel bourbon. At a time when bourbon was generally thought of as something that came out of a large batch, Lee saw the potential in treating individual barrels as something special.

Two years later, Buffalo Trace introduced Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon in his honor.

Now, four decades later, the distillery is going back to the barrel.

Straight From the Barrel

The Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition is made up of specially selected barrels chosen for their richness and individual character. Rather than blending those barrels into a standardized profile, each one is bottled at its natural barrel proof.

That means there will be some variation from bottle to bottle, which is part of the fun.

The tasting notes sound pretty inviting, too. Buffalo Trace describes aromas and flavors of apricot, almond, vanilla, toasted coconut and honeysuckle, followed by a rich, chewy palate with crème brûlée-like sweetness. The finish brings toasted oak and baking spice.

Sounds like Elmer wasn’t planning on bringing a shy bourbon to his own anniversary party.

The uncut and unfiltered approach also has a bit of historical significance. It’s meant to reflect how Lee evaluated barrels when selecting whiskey for Blanton’s, giving today’s bourbon drinkers an opportunity to experience the whiskey in a form closer to how he would have tasted it.

And at 124.8 to 138.6 proof, a little water in the glass probably wouldn’t hurt. Purists can argue about that one over their own pour.

A New Way to Chase a Bottle

Of course, finding a limited Buffalo Trace bottle these days can sometimes feel like a hobby all by itself.

For this release, the distillery is trying something new.

The Elmer T. Lee 40th Anniversary Edition will be offered through Buffalo Trace’s new Bottle Draw system, designed to give visitors a more accessible way to participate in limited bottle releases.

Registration for the first drawing opens at 10 a.m. ET September 15 and runs through 11:59 p.m. ET September 17. You can enter once, and getting your name in early doesn’t improve your odds.

An independent partner will randomly select the winners on September 22, with everyone notified of the results. Those lucky enough to be selected will have from September 28 through October 11 to visit Buffalo Trace during normal visitor hours and purchase their bottle.

The suggested retail price is $99.99 for a 750ml bottle, before local taxes and fees.

Enter the Buffalo Trace Bottle Draw

For collectors, longtime Elmer T. Lee fans or anyone who simply likes the idea of tasting a piece of bourbon history at full strength, this one should be worth entering for.

After all, 40 years of Elmer T. Lee bourbon calls for something more than a polite toast.

It calls for a barrel-proof pour.