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Ancient Age vs Blanton’s Single Barrel
Ancient Age and Blanton’s Single Barrel are cut from similar cloth: two takes on high-rye bourbons, where the real difference is price (~$14 – $18 vs. ~$80 – $150).
Key Specifications
| Feature | Ancient Age | Blanton’s Single Barrel |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 93 proof (46.5% ABV) +13 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$14 – $18 ~$99 less | ~$80 – $150 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Ancient Age and Blanton’s Single Barrel do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Ancient Age
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Blanton’s Single Barrel
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Ancient Age Blanton’s Single Barrel
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 3/6 oak: Ancient Age 3 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
spice 4/6 spice: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
heat 2/4 heat: Ancient Age 2 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 4 out of 10
sweetness 5/6 sweetness: Ancient Age 5 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 6 out of 10
nuttiness 4/3 nuttiness: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, Blanton’s Single Barrel 3 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Barrel influence is the main separator.
- Ancient Age: The bottom rung of the Buffalo Trace ladder and priced accordingly. Thin and simple at 80 proof, but it is recognisably the Mash Bill #2 recipe and it does its job in a highball without complaint.
- Blanton’s Single Barrel: The bottle that invented the single-barrel category and still trades largely on its horse-stopper cork and its scarcity. The whiskey itself is genuinely good — honeyed and citrus-led with nutmeg spice — but at secondary prices you are paying for the bottle as much as the pour.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Ancient Age if you want the cheapest honest mixer in the lineup and you are not drinking it neat without hunting for it.
- Go with Blanton’s Single Barrel if you want the original single-barrel presentation and a honeyed, citrus-led profile, and the hunt is part of the appeal with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed cocktails, highball (Ancient Age); neat, rocks (Blanton’s Single Barrel).