Anybody had Ancient Age lately?

[tmckenzie]

Since Irene messed up my fishing trip, I stayed home and got about neck deep in a bottle of the standard 3 year old Ancient age 80 proof. I have not had it in a while. The stuff was great. Lots of buttery bourbon flavors. I am convinced BT has it down pat. Everything they put out is first rate. If you want a good cheap, 10 bucks a liter around the house bourbon, you cannot beat this one.

[BigRich]

It's been about a year since I last had Ancient Age but I really having similar thoughts. In the price/age range it's not too bad.

[sailor22]

You nailed it with the buttery description. There is a long sweet finish too... just really nice juice, especially for the money.

[emr454]

I'd buy it if I could find it for $10 a liter. It's around $16 at my usual haunts, and I'm more inclined to spend a few bucks more to get Ritt BIB or FC 103.

Eric

[StraightBoston]

Not available here but I'm not a fan of the pint I bought in CA -- thin, young and too much corn. For only a couple bucks more a handle, McAfee's Benchmark seems a better budget BT offering.

[soad]

I had told my wife that I wanted to try AAA 10 year if I could ever get my hands on it. She saw the regular AA at the local liquor store and bought a handle thinking she found what I was looking for. At first I thought she wasted $20 but after I cracked it open I was pleasantly surprised! I would take this over Evan Williams any day. I have never been disappointed in what BT has produced.

[ebo]

I never bothered with AA untill I read this thread. I went and picked up a bottle this afternoon for around $8.00 and change. I think it's better than the AAA 10 star.

[OscarV]

I picked up an AAA 10yo a couple of months ago in KY, worth the 19 bucks I paid for it.

[tmckenzie]

The 10 years old is way better imho than the buffalo trace. And it is supposed to be 10 years as well right?

[OscarV]

Q 1: The 10 years old is way better imho than the buffalo trace.

Q 2: And it is supposed to be 10 years as well right?

A 1: The 10 year is BT.

A 1: When the label says 10yo then it is 10 years old.

[unclebunk]

Sure is a pity AA BIB disappeared. That was definitely a bargain at $15 and better than the AAA 10 Year Old, IMO.

[JB64]

I have been picking up some bottom shelf prduct lately and am currently working on a bottle of AA. About the best I can say is that it is a little less harsh than Early Times. I think it mixes well with Coke and probably works fine in other cocktails. Of the lower cost bourbons I have tried EW has been the best for my tastes.

[unclebunk]

Haven't had BIB or 10 year old .... (dammit), but I'm a big fan of 10 star and 8 year old (export?).

The 10 year old is even better than the 10 star and the BIB is better than both, though the only three bottles I've ever seen are the ones I own. Must be a goner, at least around here.

[kc outdoorsman]

not a fan of regular AA. Can't get the other versions in Kansas or Missouri yet, although I would love to try them!

[wormil]

I've had AAA but not AA, how are you guys drinking it? Neat, on the rocks or mixed?

[cowdery]

The regular AA is 3 years old. Ten Star is six. The 10-year-old is 10.

BT and Benchmark are the recipe #1 mash bill, whereass AA is #2.

BT claims BT bourbon is 8 years old, but it's NAS so it is what it is. I always take age claims absent an age statement on the label with a grain of salt.

[rocky480]

The 10 year old is even better than the 10 star and the BIB is better than both, though the only three bottles I've ever seen are the ones I own. Must be a goner, at least around here.

I do beleive that the AA BIB is no more, as I looked for it in KY, but couldn't find it, and there don't seem to be any current references to it that I've been able to find online. I believe I still have a bottle in the bunker, and one open, but for my tastes, it lacked flavor and complexity. I've only seen three bottles (all in a store in DC) and all were '96 glass, I think.

I actually prefer the 10 YO and 10 Star to the BIB as I thought both had a little more complexity to them.

[Gillman]

I feel at 10 years of age you get the best taste out of the current range. It's good bourbon at a very fair price. The regular (3 year old) one tastes very young to me. It would go well in a Manhattan or whiskey-and-Coke though.

Gary

[Josh]

I feel at 10 years of age you get the best taste out of the current range. It's good bourbon at a very fair price. The regular (3 year old) one tastes very young to me. It would go well in a Manhattan or whiskey-and-Coke though.

Gary

You'd think so, but not in my experience.

[emr454]

I feel at 10 years of age you get the best taste out of the current range.

Gary

Do you feel the higher off-the-still proof and high barrel entry proof that we associate with modern techniques are the cause for the 10 year aging being optimal?

Eric

[moose]

Got my first bottle of Ancient Age about a week ago, been enjoying it since, not the best bourbon I have had by any means, but it brings a nice toffee and caramel sweetness to the table as well as a full body that I quite like. For the $10 for the 1/5 I spent, it can't be beat in my book.

[tmckenzie]

Do you feel the higher off-the-still proof and high barrel entry proof that we associate with modern techniques are the cause for the 10 year aging being optimal?

Eric

[Gillman]

I would agree that the barrel age itself is the main factor. If the intent was to ask, is it necessary to age the product longer than before to get a good balanced taste, it is difficult to say and may depend on each distillery's approach. BT's regular products do seem relatively long aged (BT, ETL). Blanton though is about 5 years old IIRC, and it has a full good taste.

It is hard to say but it may that higher entry proofs in particular (the current 125 vs. the 110 maximum of decades ago) may be driving the longer aging of bourbon on average as compared to a generation or two ago.

I tend to use a shorthand when writing often and on the point of using the regular AA with Coke or in a Manhattan, I'm in agreement with Josh in the sense that I'd probably mix a few bourbons in any such drink. In other words using a young bourbon in the mix in my experience can come up with an excellent drink - better in fact often than if you used one older bourbon or rye only - but I'd probably not use it on its own.

Gary

[fishnbowljoe]

I just finished a 200 ml bottle of AA BIB. :yum: Good stuff. Too bad they don't make it any more. :frown: I'm sure glad I have a few of these in the bunker. FWIW, I like the BIB version better than the Ten Star or Ten Year old bottles that I've had. Cheers! Joe

[clingman71]

Had a nice pour of AA BIB at the hotel bar Fri night. I liked it, but it was on the verge of being too sweet. Now, take that with a grain of salt as that pour followed a pour of VW Rye. I am not a big fan of Ryes, this was good, just not my thing. These two pours seemed like polar opposites, a combination of the characteristics of each would have been nice. The AA was big and thick, almost syrupy sweet. The VW was spicy and crisp, almost a little "thin".