Compare
Ancient Age vs Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Ancient Age and Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, rye-forward classic versus a new-wave, wheat-forward craft style.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Ancient Age | Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | High-Rye Bourbon | Wheated Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley | 64% corn, 24% wheat, 12% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | 6 years |
| Proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$14 – $18 ~$37 less | ~$45 – $60 |
- Ancient Age does 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.
Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Ancient Age Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
heat 2/5 heat: Ancient Age 2 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
sweetness 5/7 sweetness: Ancient Age 5 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 7 out of 10
oak 3/5 oak: Ancient Age 3 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10
fruit 4/6 fruit: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10
spice 4/3 spice: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 3 out of 10
nuttiness 4/4 nuttiness: Ancient Age 4 out of 10, Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
These two land very differently on the palate for heat.
- 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.
- Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond: A sweet-mash, bonded wheated bourbon from a distillery founded by two fermentation scientists, and the technical care shows in how clean it tastes. One of the strongest craft arguments on the shelf.
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.
- Go with Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded, sweet-mash wheater from a modern distillery doing genuinely careful work with more proof behind it.
Best enjoyed cocktails, highball (Ancient Age); neat, rocks (Wilderness Trail Bottled-in-Bond).