🥃What does Bottled-In-Bond Whiskey mean and Why do we Love it So Much?

Two bottled-in-bond bourbons with whiskey glass, cigar, and dollar bills

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

Additionally, the label must identify the distillery where it was distilled and, if different, where bottled.

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.

🥃Review #15 Costco's Kirkland Small Batch Bourbon

Costco's liquor store is a thing of beauty. While not every Kirkland edition is a hit, there are enough standouts on a fun per dollar ratio to always merit a look. Almost all of the house brands are less than $30, and I'm always excited to take a long shot when the new seasonal releases come around. 📚 Background: Distilled by Barton 1792 in Bardstown Kentucky, Kirkland Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey hits the shelves a few times a year. Mine was from batch 1124. The bottle presentation is supposed to evoke the same feel as other small batch whiskeys and there is a decorative purity seal that is reminiscent of the ever reliable bottled in bond green filigree, albeit in a meaningless red. Unlike its bonded brethren, this edition comes in under 100 proof and does not have any age statement. There's not a whole lot of additional information provided by Costco or the distiller, but we can reasonably assume that it shares a similar pedigree as the entry level 1792...

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The 2025 release of Costco's Kirkland 15-year Highland Scotch hit shelves in late January and is a recurring installment on an annual cadence. The first pallet to hit my local store sold out almost immediately. Thankfully, we got two more shipments at one pallet each that hung around a bit longer and I was able to snag a bottle. Like in previous years, this Highland Scotch is finished in sherry casks. Alexander Murray & Co. is the bottler with MISA imports out of Texas bringing it to the States for consumption (Costco's standard sourcing pattern for Scotch). The bottle has a nice heft to it and there is an ensconced Alexander Murray Lion adding some nice texture to the front of the bottle. Steve Lipp, CEO of Alexander Murray, calls it "Perfect for after dinner drinking." All-in-all, this shows an attempt to elevate the product and presentation from the ubiquitous blends and non-age stated iterations you'll sometimes find under the Kirkland label. Neither Alex...

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🥃 Review #40: Kirkland Islay Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2024)

Like Costco's other Scotches, the Kirkland Signature Islay Single Malt is bottled for Alexander Murray and imported by MISA Imports after being distilled and aged in Scotland (TTB.gov plant registry TX-I-1277). The isle of Islay is one of the southern most islands in Scotland and is one of the five whisky regions ensconced in law. There are only nine active distilleries on the island, and the Islay style is typified by strong peat or smoky flavors. As a single malt, we know that the juice in this bottle comes entirely from one of those nine! All of the distilleries are significantly smaller than Glenlivet and many of the mainland producers. Taste testing has people split between Caol Illa, Bruichladdich (Port Charlotte), and Bunnahabhain as being the source. Caol Illa and Laphroig both have done deals for private brand scotch without rights to name the source distillery, but Laphroig does not match the flavor profile for this bottle. Realistically, Caol Illa is the most likely cand...

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