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E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch vs Ancient Age
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch and Ancient Age sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch | Ancient Age |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | 78% corn, 10% rye, 12% malted barley | 75% corn, 15% rye, 10% malted barley |
| Age | No age statement | No age statement |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) +20 proof | 80 proof (40% ABV) |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$45 – $90 | ~$14 – $18 ~$52 less |
| Availability | Allocated | Widely available easier to find |
- E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch and Ancient Age do not publish an official mash bill.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
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Ancient Age
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch Ancient Age
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
oak 7/3 oak: E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 7 out of 10, Ancient Age 3 out of 10
heat 5/2 heat: E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10, Ancient Age 2 out of 10
sweetness 6/5 sweetness: E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 6 out of 10, Ancient Age 5 out of 10
spice 5/4 spice: E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10, Ancient Age 4 out of 10
fruit 5/4 fruit: E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 5 out of 10, Ancient Age 4 out of 10
nuttiness 4/4 nuttiness: E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch 4 out of 10, Ancient Age 4 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
Oak is doing most of the differentiating here.
- 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.
- 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.
Which One Should You Choose?
- 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.
- 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.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned (E.H. Taylor Jr. Small Batch); cocktails, highball (Ancient Age).