Castle & Cairn

Not to be confused with the sub-$20 and now discontinued 6-year old iteration of Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond, the current 7-year-old bottling , introduced in 2019, is a mid-market offering known to many as a reliably good pour. In 1939, four years after its opening, Heaven Hill put out their first namesake Bottled-in-Bond which at the time quickly became the best selling bourbon in the state of Kentucky. The distillery has one of the largest portfolios of Bottled-in-Bond whiskeys in the world, joined by brands like Mellow Corn, Rittenhouse, Henry Mckenna, and Evan Williams in offering a bonded version. Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond is well awarded, having won Double Gold (ISC 2024), Double Platinum (ASCOT 2024), and World Whisky of the year (Bartender Spirits Awards), and is routinely offered up by some whiskey influencers as a recurring favorite. 🛒 Sourced:  $45.99 - 750ml - Costco Perimeter, GA - I sometimes see it for a few dollars cheaper. The 6-year version was perhaps too...

Distilled by Barton 1792 on behalf of Total Wine, Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond is a cousin of Costco's Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond and the bonded version of 1792. Barton does a huge number of other private bottlings while at the same time many of the 1792 branded iterations have become difficult to find. It is worth noting that the Wolcott brand has changed producers over the years. The version that won double gold in the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2022 was produced by Buffalo Trace. There are still a few of those floating around, so it's definitely worth checking the label for collectability (thankfully these Barton bottles have it emblazoned in big letters on the front). Both distilleries are owned by Sazerac, so it is unlikely that the mash bill has changed though the equipment itself can impact the flavor. 🛒 Sourced:  $36.99 on sale, normally $39.99 - Total Wine, GA 750ml - Note that this is roughly 2x the price of Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond (1L bottle) and about $1...

Both produced by Sazerac's Barton 1792 distillery, Costco's Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond is a value darling of the wider internet and Total Wine's Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond has placed well at international spirits competitions, though most of its metal finishes were while it was still made at Sazerac's Buffalo Trace distillery. As both are private label bottles contracted distilled by Barton, we are left to ask the question: which one is better? The Contestants - Kirkland and Wolcott You can find our full bottle write-ups on both whiskies here: Kirkland Bottled-in-Bond Review Wolcott Bottled-in-Bond Review The broad summary is that the Kirkland bottle is significantly cheaper though both the Costco and Total Wine brands here cost less than the equivalent 1792 Bottled-in-Bond, a hard to find iteration that is only now starting to show up reliably on shelves again. Per the Bottled-in-Bond act , both drams will be 100 proof, aged a minimum of four years, and made in batches of b...

Though Bardstown is known for contract distilling , their Origin and Discovery series have both collected quite the metal count at spirits awards shows. Bardstown Origin  Wheated Bottled-in-Bond  formed part of the Origin lineup with high-rye, double barreled-rye, and a 39% high wheated bourbon iterations. The high wheat is the only one of the four not to win gold or double-gold though it very likely will next season, it was just released  for the Holidays in 2024. I'm very fond of the sweetness that comes with wheated bourbons and enjoy the character building that comes with the bonded standard. Seasonal batches for bonded whiskies mean that they can differ somewhat year-to-year without being as variable as single barrels. Speaking of single barrels, at the same time as the Origin series launch in 2023, Bardstown Bourbon Co. also announced a barrel pick program or select on and off-premise retailers. 🛒 Sourced:  $44.99 - 750ml - Tower Package, GA. Typically around ...

In a TTB filing , Heaven Hill soft announces a new Old Fitzgerald edition whiskey: Old Fitzgerald Bottled-in-Bond 7-Year Bourbon. The Old Fitzgerald decanter line has long been a coveted edition, but low supply and high demand means that it is terribly hard to find, particularly for anything close to suggested retail price. Official press from the distiller has not yet occurred, but we have put together the following details.  About Old Fitzgerald From Heaven Hill's wheated mash bill (68% Corn, 20% Wheat, 12% Barley), the Old Fitzgerald decanter series is a Bottled-in-Bond offering released twice annually. This mash bill is also likely shared by the Larceny series of products, all aged in #3 char barrels.  Old Fitzgerald Decanter Series Old Fitzgerald 7-Year Bottled-in-Bond credit @Bourbonconky posted on X.com by  Bourb Your Enthusiasm The new product will have a seven year age statement, and per the bottled-in-bond act will consist of bourbon produced by Heaven Hill wit...

  📚 Background:   Crafted by Heaven Hill from a pervasive mash bill, this 10-year old bonded bourbon is distinguished by being one of the few bonded single barrels in circulation. In 2019, it won "Best in Show Whiskey" at the San Francisco World spirits competition, catapulting a $30ish dollar bottle into the stratosphere. Double H had this to say in response: “Quality and consistency are two values that have persisted across Heaven Hill since our company began distilling American Whiskey in 1935,” said Heaven Hill's President Max L. Shapira. “Henry McKenna, and our entire American Whiskey portfolio, is a shining example of the tradition instilled by our late Master Distiller Parker Beam and carried forth by our unrivaled team at Heaven Hill Distillery. While we certainly enjoy the recognition of our passion, it is the commitment of our people who bring these products to life that gives us the most satisfaction.” As with all single barrel bourbons, there will likely be ...

  📚 Background:   Distilled and Bottled by Barton 1792 in Bardstown, this Bonded iteration joins Kirkland Small Batch and Single Barrel as annual attempts to capitalize on the bourbon furor of the last few years. Small batch usually arrives in the June-July timeframe with Bonded and Single Barrel following over the ensuing months. It features an attempt at a crafted aesthetic with the askew proof label and bottled-in-bond traditional green ribbon seal. Not much other information on these bottles is available. Try as I might, I couldn't find any additional color from Barton officially. 1792 heavily markets their Bourbon as a cocktail component, and the typically spicy notes do help them stand out. I've linked their cocktail and style guide here:  1972 Bourbon Cocktail & Style Guide . 🛒 Sourced:  $24.79 Costco - Atlanta, GA for a 1L bottle. 750ml price would be $18.72 (around the same unit price as Mellow Corn or Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond). My Costc...

Rittenhouse and Redemption Rye are always dueling in my mind for dominance of the lower end of the rye market. Rittenhouse Bottled-In-Bond is a well loved and long-of-tooth brand that is a mellow entry point into the rye whiskey genre.  📚 Background:  Debuting shortly after Prohibition's end, Rittenhouse Square Straight Rye Whiskey was launched by Continental Distilling Corporation in Philadelphia, it's name paying homage to Philadelphia's famed Rittenhouse Square , long a fashionable district with sprawling mansions and art institutions. During WWII, shortages forced production stoppages and changes to plant, so Continental Distilling reintroduced the spirit in 1948 as simply "Rittenhouse," a 4-year-old Bottled-in-Bond rye and it remained a cheap and reliable iteration of the format. Heaven Hill acquired the Rittenhouse brand in 1993, a time when rye whiskies were not particularly popular. Heaven Hill stuck to their instincts, keeping Rittenhouse afloat in the f...

Heaven Hill is an institution in the whiskey world, manufacturing such deft drams as Henry McKenna, Larceny, Old Fitzgerald, Parker's and Elijah Craig. Savvy buyers know that many of their bottles meet or beat those of similarly priced and exhaustingly hunted Buffalo Trace products. Take a scroll through Reddit, X(formerly known as Twitter) or many a forum and you'll see this bottle as a recurring pick for the best value in bourbon. Here's my take on the budget beast, Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond: 🛒 Sourced: 1.75L   Tower Spirits - ATL, GA  $26.89 - This is a competitive intent price match of Total Wine which is $26.99. That's $11.57 for the 750ml equivalent. Rock bottom prices for a bonded whiskey. 🧪 Proof:  100, 50%  📚 Background : As regulated by the Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897, Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond is a beefed up version of the ever population Evan Williams black label. Master Williams, the namesake, opened Kentucky's first commercial distillery al...

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 re...