Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year

Bourbon Review #2: Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year

Category: Boutique

Price: $18

Availability: (previously in Kentucky only) Discontinued

Proof: 86, 43% avb

Mashbill: B.T. #2  (higher percentage of rye than the standard B.T. #1 mashbill)

Distillery: Buffalo Trace



     Up for my second review is the Ancient Ancient Age 10 year. And no, thats not a typo. Despite the redundancy, they chose this name for the label because it's....well, more ancient than ancient. Super ancient things tend to go extinct, and that is also sadly true of this label.

      The A.A. brand has been around for the better part of sixty years. It's now being distilled out of Buffalo Trace with three offerings (soon to be two); 1. Ancient Age 2. Ancient Ancient Age 10 Star and 3. Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year. The labels on the bottles look very similar, but the juice inside is quite different. Many people have mistaken the 10 Star for the 10 Year.

     The mashbill used in the AAA 10 year is reported to be the same #2 mashbill used in some of the higher end Buffalo Trace bourbons such as Elmer T. Lee, Rock Hill Farms and Blantons. Don't be fooled by the price tag. Though it suggests "budget bourbon", Jim Murray of the Whisky Bible gave it a 95 out of 100 in 2011. He also said that it was his favorite go to bourbon when he lived in KY.  Jason Pile of Sourmash Manifesto placed it in his superb/outstanding category. Buffalo Trace lists it as there "cult bourbon".

     This bourbon was never distributed outside of Kentucky. My partner in crime sent me this bottle as a Christmas gift shortly after it's discontinuation from Buffalo Trace. There have been circulating rumors for some time that Buffalo Trace was removing this label from the A.A brand. Up until recently, these rumors have been unfounded.

     I decided to cut to the chase and call Bufflao Trace myself. I spoke with Nan Harnice, the Consumer Affairs Associate. She informed me that it had recently been discontinued, and that Buffalo Trace had no plans to bring it back. Reportedly, this decision was made for the purpose of reserving the barrels that would have gone to this expression for blending (small batch) with higher end labels.Upon further investigation, all of the major liquor stores in Central Kentucky had sold out. The cat was out of the bag, and people were buying up the very last of the AAA 10 Year. Fortunately, I was able to pull from some of my KY resources to obtain an extra bottle despite the fast growing extinction of this once cult classic.  

     Since we are on the topic of Ancient Age, I have a story for you. My father-in-law is a life-long fisherman. If you visit his apartment, it will become immediately evident to you upon arrival that he collects, and is passionate about, all things fishing. You would be hard pressed to find a square inch of wall space that is not adorned with mounted fish, vintage fishing equipment brands and even fish pomes.....No Joke! Knowing of my interest in bourbon, he gave me this vintage, Ancient Age plastic mounted bluegill advertisement/home bar decoration. I can't think of a better time to share this lovely gem of a find with you!

     During the course of this review, I changed the status of this bourbon no less than three times! It went from my "Go-To" category, to semi boutique (when I learned that it was only available in KY), to boutique (when I discovered that it had ben discontinued altogether). It's truly sad that this fine expression of bourbon is gone. Honestly, it's difficult to think of another bourbon that delivers as much complexity for the price. If it were sticking around, it would certainly compete for my #1 go-to spot.


   

     Overall: the AAA 10 Year is wonderfuly balanced from start to finish. Rating it on a scale of one to ten, Colonel's Score is between a 7 and an 8. Thats a full step up from last weeks review of the Weller 12 year. The thing that bumps it up a notch for me, is the unique, bright citrus notes both on the nose and pallet. My wife also tried this bourbon and she said, "this would be the perfect bourbon for a topical vacation"! It has a perfectly harmonious blend of sweet, spicy and fruity notes working beautifully together.

     I wish I could tell you that you could run out and grab a bottle, but your chances are slim to none. I'm only glad that I was able to discover and review it before its complete extinction. Ancient Ancient Age 10 Year, gone but not forgotten, R.I.P.


   

W. L. Weller 12 Year

   Bourbon review #1: W. L. Weller 12 Year

Category: "Boutique"

Price: $35

Availability: Annual release

Proof: 90, 45%avb

Mashbill: Wheated

Distillery: Buffalo Trace

     
     If ever I have put a bourbon on a pedestal, before even giving it a sip, it would be this one. This is due to the following factors;

     1. The History (sourced from Buffalo Trace): A true distilling pioneer, W.L. Weller is credited with being the first distiller to produce Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey using wheat instead of rye in the mash bill. Weller’s original “wheated bourbons” became extremely popular, with a softer, smoother taste. They were so popular, in fact, it’s been said that Weller was forced to put a green thumbprint on his invoices and barrels to ensure that customers were receiving the real deal.

     After serving in the War with Mexico as a member of the Louisville Brigade in the 1840s, Weller returned to Louisville to take part in a family tradition of whiskey distilling. After the introduction of his original wheated bourbon in 1849, Weller, along with his brother, founded a very successful bourbon trading company. Weller marketed his product with the slogan, “Honest Whiskey at an Honest Price.”

     Weller’s namesake company eventually went on to merge with Pappy Van Winkle’s A. Ph. Stitzel Distillery to form the Stitzel-Weller Distillery, becoming renowned for such brands as W.L. Weller, Old Fitzgerald, Rebel Yell and Cabin Still. During the 1960's, bourbon sales plummeted. Many of the once reputable, historic labels were farmed out, and eventually became cheap bottom shelf bourbons. For example, Old Crow, Rebel Yell, Cabin Still, among others. W. L. Weller is an exception. It is now being produced out of Buffalo Trace, with efforts to preserve its original quality.

     2. W. L. Weller 12 year is an old, wheated bourbon. This is a nich category within bourbons. Very few types of bourbon are being produced with a wheated mashbill at an age of post 10 years.

     3. Julian Van Winkle III, the face and pallet of the current line up of Van Winkle products, reported in an interview that he chooses Weller bourbon when he's not enjoying his own. This speaks volumes to me!

      If you’re a fan of the Van Winkle bourbons, it’s only natural to be curious about a bourbon like the W. L. Weller 12 year. After all, they both have nearly the same history, mashbill, age, contemporary distillery and quality control. So, what makes them different? It really comes down to warehouse location on the Buffalo Trace property. Now you can see why I was so excited to try this bourbon, and by extension placed it on a very high pedestal.
 

     Overall: even though I was a little disappointed that the Weller 12 didn’t deliver on the level of a “poor mans Pappy”, its still a very nice old, wheated bourbon. I would certainly recommend this bourbon, although it's getting harder and harder to find. Colonel's score 6-7 out of 10.   

 
        


   

Boutique Bourbon

     Over the last few years, I have really gotten into Kentucky Straight Bourbon. Growing up in KY, I always knew about the typical brands such as Makers Mark, Evan Williams and Woodford Reserve. However, I couldn't tell you the first thing about the history of bourbons, boutique bourbons or the difference between a wheater and a rye.

     That all changed one evening in Lexington, Kentucky, when my best friend invited me out to a nice restaurant to try a very special bourbon. The restaurant was Jonathan's at Gratz Park; well known to have one of the finest bourbon menus in the state of KY. We each ordered a pour of Old Rip Van Winkle, "Pappy 20 Year", Family Reserve, wheated bourbon.

     Above Photo: Chet Zoeller and the Jefferson Whisky portfolio tasting at Jonathan's restaurant.
   

     The moment I took the first sip, my eyes involuntarily closed and a huge grin crept up on my face. It was, quite possibly, the best thing I ever put in my mouth. Prior to this, I had no idea that bourbon could even come close to this level. This single encounter fueled a desire within me to learn, acquire, hunt down and collect all things "fine bourbon".

     A few months after this I moved to Fargo, North Dakota. I was a little sad to think that I would be living in a place where I could only acquire "run of the mill" bourbon. Little did I know that I would be moving to one of the greatest spots in the country for assembling a truly prestigious bourbon collection. Its counter intuitive, and I'll explain why.

   

     Twenty year ago, Fargo was a small, midwestern, agricultural town that grew into a mid size city of now 176,296. Because it's roots are agricultural, it lacks the upscale "food and drink" scene that one would come to expect in a city with a more cosmopolitan population. Geographically, Fargo is four hours west of Minneapolis, four hours south of Winnipeg, six hours east of the oil boom, and a few states north of the bourbon belt. Fargo has a large enough population to bring in good distributors. So, what does all of this mean? Basically, Fargo  is where you want to be come bourbon season.  It boils down to one fact; I just don't have to contend with a lot of competition in Fargo. Let me explain this in practical terms. My friend in Lexington might be on a waiting list of three to five-hundred people for a specific limited release! In Fargo/Moorhead, I'm on a list of 35 for that same release.

     Bourbon season, or "hunting season", as its often called, is that special time of year when we bourbon hunters get our game faces' on. This is a small window of time each year in the Fall, when limited release bourbons are distributed. If you wait until the Fall to try and obtain some of these highly prized labels, you've waited to late! Some of these bourbons do not even go to the store shelves.

     Each state is a little different, but let me explain the basic protocol.  The labels go from the distillery,  to the distributor, then on to a liquor store manager's office. The store manager will call folks that are on a waiting list (if you live in a state where they have a list system). Many stores won't hold these bourbons. It's a first come, first serve system. Depending on the allocation, its can be a one bottle to one customer store policy.

     In the case of the 2013 Pappy release in Fargo, they got 15 bottles of Pappy. This means that half of the people on the list did not get a bottle. The entire years supply of Pappy had come and gone in Fargo in 2.5 hours. Seem pretty tough? Remember, Fargo is where you want to be! Compare that to Lexington, KY. My friend arrived at his local Lexington liquor store on the anticipated release date at four AM! He waited in line for eight hours, for his one bottle. He was one of the lucky few. Many more in Lexington were turned away. Not all limited release's are this ferocious.        

     Within my collection, I have two categories; "go to" and "boutique". There are certain parameters that define these categories. I want to make one thing very clear. It's not like I have a "crappy" category and a "prestigious" category. The distinction has very little to do with quality, and more to do with price and availability. If I can find it somewhat easily around town for $30ish bucks or under, then it falls into my go to category. By contrast, if its a limited edition, annual release, requiring a waiting list, or greater than $30 bucks, then it falls into my boutique category. I dont feel so bad to dip into my go to bourbons more frequently, because they generally replaceable. My boutique labels are for special events such as weddings, holidays and anniversaries. All of my bourbons are purchased with the understanding that they will eventually be consumed. In other words, I'm not opening a whisky museum!

     I have learned that one thing is true; price does not dictate quality. There are so many wonderful bourbons out there that are under or around $30 bucks. These labels can be far better, or just as good as bourbons twice their price. Of course, the flip side is that there are expensive bourbons that just aren't that good. How do you sort it all out? To be honest, it does require a fair amount of research and leg work. In order to make these distinctions and formulate opinions, you need to read multiple reviews, get to know store managers, distributors, mark your calendar for release dates, put your name on multiple waiting list, check in regularly, put all of your stores on speed dial, keep a running log of notes and taste, taste, taste!

     Sounds like a lot of work? Not if you enjoy it! You know your on the right track when your local liquor stores bestow you with nicknames. For example, in Fargo i'm known as The Colonel or The Bourbon Guy.

     I would like very much to share some of thoughts on my favorite bourbons with you. I have decided to dedicate a serious of video postings on this topic. It is my hope that you find them helpful. I'm not planning on getting super specific with rating systems. That info can be found easily on line (the whisky bible, sourmash manifesto, whisky advocate). Instead, I might offer a very simple 1-10 scale (1 being the worst, and 10 being the best).  If your not into bourbon, don't worry. I will be returning to my previous blogging format soon. Now if I can only get my video equipment up and running, I'll be good to go!

   

                 
   

The Sadder Songs Session

      If you were in your early 20's during the early 2000's, liked to party and lived within two hours of Morehead Kentucky, then you probably spent a night at Lloyd Woods's trailer. Lloyd was a close friend of mine growing up. He was a college student at Morehad State University during this time. He more or less had an open house/couch/floor policy to anyone with a pulse. My brother was Lloyd's roommate during those days, and therefore an integral part of this scene.

     It was during my brothers extended stay in Morehead, that we started working on a music project. This project included a group of rotating musicians that frequented Lloyds trailer. My brother decided to create a name that we could all work under.  That name was "The Great Went Band." My brother's philosophy for the band was that anyone who passed through the circle of the Morehead scene could contribute to the project. The end result was a circus of a recording featuring a hodgepodge of styles. Though Great Went was lacking in audio quality and narrative, it was a unique opportunity to work with so many different musicians on a project with no rules.

     My favorite Great Went memory was in February of 02, when I lugged an entire drum kit from Hazard to Morehead for a recording session. There was a sense of anticipation in the air prior to my arrival. Lloyd's trailer had become a commune, with a growing fan base of young college students/groupies. Once the word got out around the campus about the recording project, it was only a matter of time before Lloyd's trailer turned into a 24/7 hang out for those wanting to be a part of "something big".

     I opened  Lloyd's front door on that February day, and instantly I was meet by at least six total strangers who knew everything about me. It was like Ringo Star had just walked into the building. This was hilarious to me, because I'm not even a "real drummer". Sure I had taken drum lessons when I was eight, and had only recently picked up drumming again out of necessity during my school of worship. I was like the guy that you would call on in a worst case situation if your official drummer was M.I.A. So, I just put a smile on and played the part. We had a party that night with plans to record the next morning.

     I managed to set up the drum kit in Lloyd's bedroom with the kick drum literally against the foot of his bed. People lined the walls of his bedroom like sardines in a tin can. We would finish a rough take, and people would be grinning from ear to ear, as though they just witnessed the launch of the first Apollo rocket. Despite being completely green behind the drum kit, I managed to turnout some of my best drumming to date. I attribute this to the atmosphere and vibe of the folks crammed into that little bedroom. Its easy to believe your the greatest drummer of all time when everyone in the room thinks you are! These photos are from that magic session.

     In summary, The Sadder Songs session was a fun project with a spontaneous, no holds bars spirit. It was fueled by the enthusiastic college partying scene of Morehead State University. The below link is from that recording session. Enjoy!

http://greatwent.bandcamp.com/track/sadder-songs

Discography

     My first audio recording experience came in the fall of 2000. I was twenty-two and living in Lakeside, Montana. I was a student at a school for worship leaders through a Christian organization called Youth With A Mission. One of our assignments was to write an original song each week. The songs could be submitted as a live performance, or we could turn in a recording. One of my friends had an old-school four track tape recorder with a cheep mic. We all took turns using it.

     For the first time, I began exploring the endless possibilities of multi track recording. I could capture and blend any sound that I heard, weaving it into the framework of a song. Before long, I was climbing up on ladders to record the ambient sounds of steam pipes. I also remember trying to figure out what key the laundry dryer hummed in. It was all fun experimentation. Although my songwriting was rough to say the least, my creative juices were really flowing. I was having a blast! I loved the element of control that recording provided. I could go back and fix a mistake or correct a section of a song until I got it just right. Near the end of the school, I had the opportunity to record in a professional studio with my classmates. It was a fantastic learning experience.

     In January of 2001, my brother moved to Morehead, Kentucky, where he began experimenting with a computer based recording system. When I had completed my worship school, I joined him with the idea of collaborating on a music project. We had both been bitten by the recording bug. It would only be a matter of time before we began working on a full length album.

     It's interesting for me to look back and see how my equipment, recording techniques and general knowledge of recording has changed over the years. Fortunately, its been for the better. I won't write much on that because its fairly technical, and to be honest, boring to read. It would also be redundant of me to simply restate the comprehensive information of each album. All of that info can be found in the liner notes for each project. Instead, my intentions are to give a small chronological overview of each project and included some personal reflection. I realize that there are eight albums, so I will try to keep it brief.

     The first three albums are under the name "Great Went". This name selection was created and used by my brother. This is what he had to say about the name choice. "Before I ever recorded music or played in a band, I had an imaginary band in my head called The Great Went. The name came from a line in David Lynch's Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me when Jacques Renault tells Laura, "I am The Great Went". -Cedric Sparkman.     

Album #1- 2001- Parables: This is an all instrumental soundtrack for a film by the same title. Bretthit Kelley and I fuzed Appalachian instruments like the dulcimer, mandolin and fiddle with middle eastern/Asian instruments such as the sitar, tampura and a variety of ethnic percussion. This entire album was recorded in a one take, one track session. My brother then split the session into ten individual tracks.

  

Album #2- 2002- Great Went: This album was birthed out of the college partying days of Morehead State University. It was a wild circus of a recording project with little to no rules. This is how it functioned; get all your drunk friends together, have them submit songs/lyrics (regardless of the style) and put them on a CD. It was a fun, spontaneous free for all that served to be a great learning experience as well as a musical snapshot into that time period. 

 Album #3- 2003- Man Mountain: One of my favorite projects to date. This is the only album that my brother and I collaborated on from start to finish. My brother created the cover art. All of the songs were written by my brother and myself.

     The album itself is a "concept album" about the larger than life character of East Kentucky native, Silas Bowling. Musically, it's set to the style of jam band/classic rock. Kent Cowell produced the album at his Y.E.S. (Yerkes Experimental Sound) Lab recording studio. He also provided the signature guitar solos, giving the songs a uniform continuity. Though the album has technical issues (particularity with rhythm), it makes up for these with originality. This album was one of the most creative project that I have worked on. Its also special for me because of the unique collaboration with my brother.

     This was the last album under the Great Went title. It marked a turning point  in my musical journey, as I will try to explain.  


Album #4- 2005- The Yerkes Years: At this point I was tired of paying large sums of money to people in order to get my projects produced. The only way to circumvent this is to learn to produce them yourself. The Yerkes Years was my fist solo project, and the first project that did not carry the Great Went name. Because of this, I felt the need to come up with a name of my own. I chose the name Rabbit Fork, thinking that one day I would grow the name into a full fledged bluegrass band.

     Stylistically, I had been moving in a more traditional direction, and this album coincided with the peak of my interest in bluegrass music. At the time I was living in Fargo, North Dakota. During a brief trip home to KY, I recorded with bluegrass musicians. Because my trip home was limited to just a few days, I had no time to fix mistakes or do multiple takes. I had just enough material to put out an EP, with much of the music being more quantity than quality. The lesson that I learned was that despite time constraints, its never worth rushing a recording.

     However, this album did provide the opportunity to work with Jesse Wells. Jesse played banjo and fiddle on this project. This small first  encounter would pave the way for Jesse to ultimately teach me how to play banjo. Jesse's influence would steer my music into even more traditional veins, as I departed the shallow oceans of bluegrass in pursuit of the deeper headwaters of old time.

     The cover photograph was taken in front of my great-grandfather's (Sherman Campbell) grocery store in Yerkes, Kentucky. This building was torn down shortly after the photo was taken.    

Album #5- 2005- Live In Moorhead, Minnesota: This album was released only a few moths after The Yerkes Years. It served in many ways as a live version of The Yerkes Years. The only reason that I truly love this project, is because its the only recording where I can be heard playing with my dad. He is a great guitar player who recorded professionally on many albums during the 80's and 90's with his gospel band, The Cornerstones. Dad's version of Cannonball Rag is my favorite track on the album. Its nostalgic for me because I heard him playing this song countless times while growing up. It also  showcases his talent as a guitarist.

Album #6- 2009- I'm Lost Without Coralee: This was my first traditional Appalachian project.  This was also my first attempt to release a commercial project. By this, I mean that I distributed it to online reviewers and online stores. In fact, County Sales is one of the stores that carries it.   http://www.countysales.com/products.php?product=GRAHAM-SPARKMAN-%27I%27m-Lost-Without-Coralee%27

     The album started out as two separate projects. I had been interviewing my grandparents, as well as recording the traditional music of East KY on the side. Somewhere along the way, I got the idea to combine the two into one cohesive project. I feel that this album ties me, through my grandparents, to my Appalachian heritage. Now all but one of my grandparents are gone. Any time I want to hear their voices again, I just put on this recording. 

Album #7- 2011- Maxi Reynolds, The Very Best: I thought I would try my hand at producing an album. I ended up enjoying this more than I anticipated. I loved having complete control of the creative process without having to worry about the stresses that coincide with being the artist. What many people don't know regarding this project is the plethora of audio formats I pulled from in order to assemble this album. My Aunt Max had sang and written songs over a 37 year period! It took me three weeks just to comb through the endless piles of vinyls, VHS tapes, cassette tapes and CD's. This nostalgic project was intended only for my family.   

Album #8- 2013- The Kentucky Hilltoppers, Live WKIC Recordings from 1949: I again decided to wear the hat of the producer for this project featuring my grandfathers band. I had never before worked on restoring a vintage recording. Martin Fisher of Nashville, TN did a great job with this. The most meaningful part of the project for me, was the opportunity to interview the surviving members of the band. Not only did the interviews inform the writing of my liner notes, but it also gave me an inside prospective that was gratifying. Had it not been for the interviews, a part of my family's musical history would have been lost forever.

     The same folks that picked up my I'm Lost Without Coralee CD are carrying this album as well. So far, it is on its 3rd round of distribution with copies on back-order. I have discovered that there is a niche market for previously unreleased vintage American rural recordings. Bluegrass Unlimited is scheduled to review the album at the end of the month.

     Well, there you have it! I did the math and figured out that I have put out a new album every 1.5 years since 2001. I'm pretty happy about that. I am currently working on an album of mostly original songs that I composed back in 2005, but never put on an official album. This album will stylistically be a mix of Appalachian, Bluegrass and Traditional Country.

     My brother and I have also kicked around the idea of doing a joint project. If this comes to pass, it would be the first time we worked on a project since 2003 (Man Mountain). Albums are very expensive to produce. Because of this, and family obligations, I have had to put many ideas on hold. However, this makes the completion of an album all the more gratifying! Honestly, I have so many projects on the back burner. I'm not running out of musical ideas any time soon!

     Reflection over these projects provides a lot of great memories. It also gives me direction for future albums. So much could be said about each project. For sake of time, I will end this entry. Stay tuned for new projects to roll down the pipeline. If you are interested in hearing any of these albums, you can listen, download, free stream, or purchase them at the following links.

   http://greatwent.bandcamp.com/album/parables

http://grahamsparkman.bandcamp.com/album/the-yerkes-years

http://www.countysales.com/products.php?product=GRAHAM-SPARKMAN-%27I%27m-Lost-Without-Coralee%27  

http://thekentuckyhilltoppers.bandcamp.com/

http://www.countysales.com/products.php?product=KENTUCKY-HILLTOPPERS-'Live-WKIC-Recordings-from-1949'