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As detailed in the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, the term "bonded" means that an American-produced distilled meets a number of quality requirements. Such a liquid must:
- Be the product of one distillation season (January-June or July-December) and one Distillery
- Be aged in a federally bonded warehouse for AT LEAST 4 years
- Be at least 50% alcohol, 100 proof
At the time, there was a significant need for quality control over bourbon. Much of the whiskey sold at the time as adulterated by tobacco, iodine, or other substances to influence both taste and color. The Bottled-In-Bond act created a tax incentive for producers to meat these requirements by allowing them to delay the payment of excise taxes.
You can view the current regulation text here: Title 27
Comparison to Straight Whiskey
The term "Straight Whiskey" is also regulated by law and has the following requirements:
- Distilled from fermented grain mash to a concentration not exceeding 80% alcohol by volume
- Aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years at no greater than 62.5% entry concentration
- Bottled at 80 proof or higher
Manufactures are only allowed batch whiskies from different barrels/distilleries, chill filtering, and adding water to reduce the proof. If aged for less than four years, the label must state the actual age of the product. Lastly, if an age is presented on the label, it must be the youngest vintage in the bottle.
Coloring of straight whiskey is forbidden. Blended whiskeys can have coloring or gain alcohol components but must still be at least 20% straight whiskey.
Applied to Bourbon
Believe it or not, the term "Bourbon" also has legal requirements:
- Must be produced in the US or is Territories
- Made from a grain mix of at least 51% corn distilled to no more than 80% AB. It'
- Aged in new charred oak barrels for at least two years at no greater than 62.5% entry concentration
- Bottled at 80 proof or higher
Note that there is no minimum age for bourbon but it must be all of the conditions of straight whiskey to be called "Straight Bourbon". Also, it does not have to be distilled or aged in Kentucky, though most bourbon is.
Bottled-in-Bond Today
While some consider the "Bonded" moniker archaic as many producers meet and exceed all but the bonded warehouse requirement, Bottled-In-Bond offerings remain a favorite of Whiskey enjoyers everywhere. Much like the German beer purity laws, bonded whiskey is part of the cultural tapestry of the US. Many bonded bourbons are priced aggressively as everyman's drinks due to their traditional market fits and branding. For the money, consumers get a relatively strong pour with assurances as to minimum age and quality. It is my suspicion that producers also are reluctant to significantly tamper with the quality of offerings going back more than 100 years with the upside that many of these budget friendly offerings retain their historic quality.
A few Good Bottles
You can find the growing list of bonded whiskey reviews here.
- Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond - My favorite daily driver. One of the stores near me has 1.75L bottles for $26, truly unbeatable. This may be the best cost to quality indexed bottle of whiskey in the world. Check out our Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond review here.
- Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond - Formerly a six year old budget bottle, Heaven Hill now releases this bonded whiskey at 7 years age statement for around $45. A favorite of many! I'm just sad to see the extra year costing us more than double versus the legacy offering.
- Mellow Corn - Corn Whiskey with a meme culture following. It won't be the best thing you've ever tasted but it's solid and there are few things like it on the market. Nostalgic branding to boot.
- Old Fitzgerald - Heaven Hill puts out this premium offering a few times per year and people seek them out for the fancy decanter bottle. Expect to pay for this super premium bonded offering.