Bar-on, \ˈber-ən \, noun:  a man who possess great power or influence in some field of activity.

What does it take to be a Baron of Bourbon? If you are Elmer T. Lee of Buffalo Trace, it means you put in the better part of six decades learning the ins and outs of the business before getting a bourbon named in your honor, and still find the passion and drive to inspect several warehouses of bourbon at age 89.  If you are Jimmy Russell of Wild Turkey it means having half a century’s worth of experience in the industry under your belt, long overdue on much needed rest, yet deciding instead to get on a plane and circle the globe in order to spread the gospel of bourbon.  Bill Samuels Jr. of Maker’s Mark appears on this list because no one man has done more to bring bourbon into the twenty-first century than he, and no one man embraces his role as a bourbon ambassador to the world quite like he does. Jim Rutledge of Four Roses has tirelessly honed his craft for over forty years, has been named a Bourbon Hall of Famer, and has steered the bourbon he keeps watch over to a position of dominance in both the European and Japanese markets.  Parker Beam of Heaven Hill Distilleries is recognized because he may be the most decorated master distiller on the planet, and his ability to craft such a diverse selection of fine bourbons is unmatched.

The next generation of Bourbon Barons have already begun their ascent, working towards earning a place in bourbon lore amongst the greats that have preceded them. They include: Harlan Wheatley of Buffalo Trace, Greg Davis of Tom Moore, Eddie Russell of Wild Turkey, Kevin Smith of Maker’s Mark, Fred Noe of Jim Beam, Chris Morris of Brown-Forman, and Craig Beam of Heaven Hill.

What do all these men have in common? A love and respect for bourbon that reaches well beyond the walls of the distilleries and rick houses that consume their time and efforts. These aren’t mere bourbon men; these are Bourbon Barons!

Elmer T Lee

Innovative. Creative. Expansive. These words are often used to describe the 110 acre Frankfort distillery Buffalo Trace and its output of bourbon. It only makes sense that those words equally apply to the man who has given 50 years of service to this distillery.  Elmer T. Lee has guided this distillery through a half century of peaks and valleys, learned and worked with a “who’s who” of bourbon, and continued to make a quality bourbon in the Kentucky tradition.  

After graduating with honors from the University of Kentucky in 1949, Lee began working at the distillery that eventually became Buffalo Trace. Back then, it was the the George T. Stagg distillery and Lee worked in the engineering department of the Schenley Distillers. He was promoted to plant superintendent in 1966, and eventually, plant manager in 1969.

Lee is credited with the idea of making premium bourbon from a single barrel with his creation of Blanton’s in 1984.  This label started the ultra-premium trend that is responsible for bourbon’s worldwide resurgence.  Lee, like most bourbon distillers, came from Kentucky beginnings. Born in Franklin County, Kentucky, he graduated from Franklin County High School and joined the Army Air Core as a radar bombardier during World War II. After an honorable discharge from the military, he enrolled in the University of Kentucky to study engineering.

Lee retired in 1985, but he still tastes his whiskey on a weekly basis. When he’s not making his rounds at Buffalo Trace, he is often on the road serving as ambassador for the distillery.

After a half century of overseeing bourbon’s production, Elmer T. Lee, literally, became the man behind it. In 1992, with Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel Bourbon, a 107 proof, 14 year-old bourbon, Elmer T. Lee became one of three surviving distillers who enjoy having a bourbon named after them. On the inside back of Elmer T. Lee Single Barrel bottle, a picture of Lee stares back at you.

Jimmy Russell

For more than 50 years, he’s put the sharpened claw on the “Kickin’ Chicken.” James “Jimmy” Russell, Master Distiller for Wild Turkey Bourbon, grew up less than five miles from the Lawrenceburg distillery and began working there at 19. Over the years, his chief aim has remained constant: to bottle a bourbon as consistent in taste as it is strong. Like just a handful of other distillers remaining today, Russell’s aims go beyond simple product recognition - they are a source of family pride. Jimmy is the third generation Russell to have a hand in distilling Wild Turkey.

Learning his craft from pre-prohibition distiller, William C. Hughes, Russell takes a meticulous approach to distillation. Every day he inspects the charred white oak barrels that will contain the bourbon during aging (Russell favors a heavy char), hand selects the grains used in the fermentation process, and supervises the rearrangement of barrels in the storage houses to maintain consistency of taste during the aging process. To preserve the strong flavor of the bourbon, he distills at lower proofs and adds less water. While not cost-effective, this method is responsible for Wild Turkey’s taste and famous high proof.

For Russell, the importance of Wild Turkey‘s famous high proof can also be attributed to his steadfast approach to taste and tradition. Around thirty years ago, when consumers began buying more vodka-based cocktails, other bourbons began to water down their product to offset the costs of a declining market. Not Russell. “I’m most proud of making Wild Turkey the old-fashioned way,” he says. “We’re making it the old-fashioned way with the heavy flavor and heavy body.”

Lately, Russell has been traveling the world promoting and educating others on Wild Turkey and bourbon.  “The thing that is most satisfying to me is when the people come up to me and say, ‘we enjoy the flavor and the taste.’ That is the most important thing to me. I want Wild Turkey to be consistent in flavor and taste today and tomorrow, ten years from now, and on and on.” For Wild Turkey lovers, it sounds like the “Kickin Chicken” will be ruling the proof for quite some time.

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