Ancient Ancient Age 8 Year Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:
- $60

- 86 Proof

- 8 Years

- Japan Release

- Kentucky

I was lucky enough to stumble into this bottle.  A good friend of mine had made a trip to Kentucky and found one of these at Neat Bourbon Bar and Bottle Shop. Of course, I was a bit jealous at his find. But, luckily for me, he ended up heading back to Louisville only a few weeks later, and there was still one of these sitting on the shelf that he was kind enough to buy and mule back from Kentucky for me. 

This is apparently (I say apparently because I truly didn't know such a product existed until he brought it back) a Japan release only, not available here in the United States.  I'm sure at retail it's much cheaper than what I paid, but I was more than willing to pay the premium for something I couldn't get here, particularly where it came with the 8 year age statement. 

The nose was soft, but still had those traditional notes of cinnamon, vanilla and caramel. There was a light peppery note to it as well.  However, on the last few pours the vanilla note really seemed to take hold, providing this great, almost cake-like note that I really enjoyed.

Of course, with the lower proof, it came across as thin and a bit watery. That was to be expected. As were the notes of caramel and vanilla that I got right up front. What wasn't expected, though, was the lack of sweetness. I didn't get those sweet vanilla and caramel notes that I usually get from Buffalo Trace's mashbill #2.  The flavors were there, but not the expected sweetness.

Rather, it had almost a coffee liqueur note to it, with a bit of bitterness to accompany the vanilla and caramel.  There was also a bit of a dark chocolate note, providing that same type of bitterness while at the same time complementing the vanilla and caramel notes.

The finish, as thin and short-lived as it was, was actually quite tasty.  Here some of the sweetness came through, as the chocolate note seemed a bit more like a milk chocolate, losing some of the bitterness. There was also a citrus not that came through, and it reminded me of those chocolate oranges I used to enjoy as a kid. 

In the end, I kind of knew what I was getting into. It's Ancient Age, but with a bit more age on it. It's good, but it's low proof, and it drinks like it is. That said, this was still not only a fun and tasty bottle to try, it was a fun one to share with friends who likewise had never come across such a bottle.

Grade: B-

Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star Kentucky Straight Bourbon

VITALS:

- $17

- 90 Proof

- 36 mos.

- Kentucky

This is one of those bottles where I was way more excited to have found it than I really should have been.  After all, this is just a very young, somewhat low proof mashbill #2 from Buffalo Trace.  I've had other bourbons from this mashbill hundreds of times, and while I do love this mashbill, I really can't say that a 3 year old version was ever something I felt I really needed to try.

Yet, I was excited to come across this bottle for two very simple reasons. First, I can't find it in Illinois. I'm not sure of the distributional footprint on Ancient Ancient Age, but it does not include Illinois, and I've never seen it in any of the neighboring states on my travels. Second, it's only $17!!  I had to try it for that reason alone. After all, what if it's somehow amazing and I need to be stocking up every chance I get?  Probably not, but you never know.

My first impression of the nose was that it smelled young.  It came across as sharp and biting, with a certain vegetal quality that I liken to young whiskeys. However, it also had a good amount of brown sugar and cinnamon, and it came across as almost like a cinnamon sugar cookie. It had something a bit more earthy as well, almost leather-like. 

The flavor was a bit better than expected. While it still comes across as young, it lacked those rough edges that I was getting on the nose. It came across as softer and more cohesive. It was, however, certainly corn-forward, and as a result, was very sweet. 

I definitely got that sugar cookie note that I got on the nose, but in this instance the vanilla really seemed to come forward more. There was also a sweetness that took the form of a honey note, which, as far as sweet notes in whiskey go, I like the lean towards honey rather than cane sugar.

The sweetness carried through on the finish, but there a bit of a cinnamon bite came out as well. That vanilla note seemed to coat my mouth and the back of my throat as well for a nice finishing combo.

This bourbon was young, no question. However, it didn't get to the point where it tasted too young, if that makes sense. It wasn't offensively young, and the young qualities weren't off-putting. But, despite the price, I think I'd look for other options on the shelf.

Grade: C+

Ancient Age Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

VITALS:
- $15
- 80 Proof
- NAS
- Kentucky

I can't help myself. I'm an admitted fan and homer of Buffalo Trace's Mashbill #2, the same mashbill that's used to make some of my favorites: Elmer T. Lee, Rock Hill Farms and Blanton's, to name a few. So, I figured it was about time I give the bottom shelf Mashbill #2 product a try. After all, at only $15, I certainly had no fear of buyer's remorse.

On the nose I got that old familiar smell . . . bourbon. It was that traditional toffee and vanilla with a slight amount of cinnamon spice that I look for in my bourbon. It even had a little bit of cherry to it. This one hit on all points.

When I took a sip the first thing I noticed was the texture. Given that this is only 80 proof, it certainly wasn't a surprise, but this was very watery in texture. It's very thin and certainly did not need any ice.

The flavor, though, was everything I had expected. The cinnamon bit was noticeable right up front. I could feel it on the tip of my tongue. That gave way, though, to the sweet vanilla almost immediately, followed a few seconds later by the traditional toffee and caramel flavors.

At the back end it was more complex than expected. It had a slight orange peel tang or tartness to it, as well as a bit of a burnt sugar flavor which went really well with the orange peel, almost like an old fashioned.

As I made my way through this bottle, I didn't notice any discernible difference or change in the flavor profile. It remained consistent, albeit consistently good, so who am I to complain. This was no knock-your-socks off whiskey, but yet I found myself regularly going back to this bottle for a pour over others.

This is absolutely tasty for the price point. It's not full of complexity or richness. It doesn't have a velvety, oily mouthfeel to it. But it does have really good flavor, more complexity than expected, is readily available and only set me back $15.00. Considering I can't get Heaven Hill 6-Year Bottled In Bond with any sort of regularity, I think I may have found my new favorite bottom shelfer! This one gets a higher grade for bringing flavor at a very low price point.

Grade: B+