The annealing response of amorphous Al based alloy samples were investigated to assess the role of the as-quenched state on primary crystallization of Al nanocrystals(nc). Continuous heating differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) traces of amorphous Al87Ni10Ce3 powders were compared to those from melt spun ribbon (MSR) to examine the effect of sample subdivision on primary crystallization. While the powders exhibited the same onset temperature as MSR, thermal cycling experiments show fine powder sizes reacting at the onset temperature and coarse powder sizes with the lowest melt quench rate transforming at the highest primary reaction temperature. In Al92Sm8 MSR, a kinetics analysis of Al nc distributions indicates a notable effect of the as-quenched state on primary crystallization during isothermal annealing. With Al88Y7Fe5 MSR intense deformation can induce thedevelopment of an Al nc distribution without thermal annealing. In each case examined, the results support the inclusion of quenched in clusters in the analysis of primary crystallization reactions.