Ancient Ancient Age the same as Blanton's?

[GreggB]

The last time I toured the Buffalo Trace Distillery, someone told me, and here I paraphrase, that the barrels rejected for Blanton's single barrel releases are blended and sold as Ancient Ancient Age.

True, or false, or something in-between?

Gregg

[kickert]

something in between.

It is well known that Buffalo Trace only has a few mashbills (recipes). Ancient Ancient Age is made from the same one as Blanton's (BT #2). It is the higher rye mashbill. All of these are made from that:

Ancient (Ancient) Age, Rock Hill Farms, Hancock President's Reserve, Blantons, Elmer T Lee, Virginia Gentleman.

Technically any barrels made with this mashbill can become any of these bourbons. However, they have a slightly different flavor profile and barrels are selected to reflect that. So technically when searching for a Blanton's barrel, if it is rejected, it could become AAA (or any of the others listed above). But that doesn't mean AAA is Blanton's rejects.

The same can be true of Buffalo Trace's other mashbills, which are listed below:

BT Mashbill #1: Benchmark, Eagle Rare, Old Charter, Buffalo Trace and George T Stagg
BT Wheat: Weller, VanWinkle.

[Slob]

something in between.

It is well known that Buffalo Trace only has a few mashbills (recipes). Ancient Ancient Age is made from the same one as Blanton's (BT #2). It is the higher rye mashbill. All of these are made from that:

Ancient (Ancient) Age, Rock Hill Farms, Hancock President's Reserve, Blantons, Elmer T Lee, Virginia Gentleman.

Technically any barrels made with this mashbill can become any of these bourbons. However, they have a slightly different flavor profile and barrels are selected to reflect that. So technically when searching for a Blanton's barrel, if it is rejected, it could become AAA (or any of the others listed above). But that doesn't mean AAA is Blanton's rejects.

The same can be true of Buffalo Trace's other mashbills, which are listed below:

BT Mashbill #1: Benchmark, Eagle Rare, Old Charter, Buffalo Trace and George T Stagg
BT Wheat: Weller, VanWinkle.

I don't know why, but I find this entire process fascinating.

[Edward_call_me_Ed]

Correct me if I am wrong, but part of the Blanton's profile is that it is all aged in the same same area of one rick house. I forget the numbers and letters. I threw out all my empty Blanton's bottles this summer and I don't have one open. (How did that happen?) I think I will get a bottle for advent.

Ed

Ps. I think I read an interview with Elmer T Lee where he said that that area was reserved for Blanton's.

[pepcycle]

I think its warehouse H, the steel clad one.
All the others are brick.

[GreggB]

Thanks for the information.

Do you know how they select what becomes AA, AAA, AAA 10 Star, and AAA Preferred?

Gregg

[OscarV]

The last time I toured the Buffalo Trace Distillery, someone told me, and here I paraphrase, that the barrels rejected for Blanton's single barrel releases are blended and sold as Ancient Ancient Age.

True, or false, or something in-between?

Gregg

This is probably true.
Most distilleries only have one mashbill and they bottle several different bourbons.
Taste differences coming from age and rickhouse location.
A month or two ago we went to a Buffalo Trace tasting.
We tried Blanton's, RHF, ETL, ER and BT they all had a sameness that I did not care for.
But I knew that going in, I went to meet new people.
As far as Buffalo Trace Distillery goes, I like their Weller's, Van Winkle's and their BT Antique Collection, the rest I'll pass on.

[Josh]

This is probably true.
Most distilleries only have one mashbill and they bottle several different bourbons.
Taste differences coming from age and rickhouse location.
A month or two ago we went to a Buffalo Trace tasting.
We tried Blanton's, RHF, ETL, ER and BT they all had a sameness that I did not care for.
But I knew that going in, I went to meet new people.
As far as Buffalo Trace Distillery goes, I like their Weller's, Van Winkle's and their BT Antique Collection, the rest I'll pass on.

I'm with ya Oscar. Some may regard this as heresy, but ETL and OC 10 are the only BT products I have found to be worth the money. Not that Blanton's & Handcock aren't good; they're very good. I just don't know if they're good enough to warrant the price. An yes I know Scotch is more expensive, but two wrongs don't make a right.

[GreggB]

I'm with ya Oscar. Some may regard this as heresy, but ETL and OC 10 are the only BT products I have found to be worth the money. Not that Blanton's & Handcock aren't good; they're very good. I just don't know if they're good enough to warrant the price. An yes I know Scotch is more expensive, but two wrongs don't make a right.

But if BT and ETL taste the same, why not buy just BT at a fraction of the cost of ETL?

[Josh]

But if BT and ETL taste the same, why not buy just BT at a fraction of the cost of ETL?

B/c I don't think they taste the same. BT has a spicey, clove, allspice, peppermint sort of nose and taste that I don't usually care for. ETL tastes pretty different. It is sweet and subtle (or boring depending on my mood) taste and nose but with a light dry finish. I don't know how they do it, but they definately have different flavor profiles to me.

All that said, If it's around $20 or lower, and I was forced to but a BT product, I would get OC 10 or OWA 107.