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Ancient Age vs E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Ancient Age and E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus an old-guard, classically built classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Ancient Age | E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Traditional Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$14 – $18 ~$52 less | ~$45 – $90 |
| Availability | Widely available easier to find | Allocated |
- Ancient Age and E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch do not publish an official mash bill.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.
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Ancient Age E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 3/7 oak: Ancient Age 3 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 7 out of 10
heat 2/5 heat: Ancient Age 2 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
sweetness 5/6 sweetness: Ancient Age 5 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 6 out of 10
spice 4/5 spice: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10
nuttiness 4/4 nuttiness: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch: Bottled-in-bond from the same low-rye Buffalo Trace recipe, and the extra 10 proof over standard BT gives it noticeably more grip. Butterscotch and tobacco with a long, drying finish that outlasts most bottles near its shelf price.
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 E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch if you want the Buffalo Trace house profile with real structure and a bonded 100-proof backbone.
Best enjoyed cocktails, highball (Ancient Age); neat, rocks, old-fashioned (E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch).