Bottled in Bond Act of 1897
“Bottled-in-Bond” is a term seen on bottles of spirits – primarily Whiskey – in America. Many new Whiskey drinkers have written to BevX asking about its significance. Unlike nearly useless terms such as “craft” or “small batch” Bottled-in-Bond has real meaning, as well as historical importance.
The term Bottled-in-Bond comes from the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897. In simple terms the Bottled-in-Bond Act states the following: a spirit must be made at one American distillery, from spirit produced within the same calendar year, aged in wood for a minimum of four years, aged in locked – government supervised warehouses, and bottled at no less than 100 proof (50% abv).
All of these requirements may seem simple today but in the late 19th century fraudulent and sometimes dangerous Whiskey was frequently sold. Bonded Whiskey was a guarantee to the consumer that the spirit would be free of additions, aged, and less diluted than the typical Whiskey of the time.
As the popularity of Whiskey waned in the USA in the middle 20th century these old-school brands being sold as Bottled-in-Bond Whiskies frequently occupied the bottom shelf and could be obtained at bargain prices. Serious Whiskey lovers knew about these great Whiskies but the average spirits buyer was unaware.
Today, firmly in the twenty-first century, Bottled-in-Bonds are becoming mainstream and coveted. Longtime Whiskey lovers may be getting a bit grumpy as demand and prices are on the rise but distillers are keenly aware of the renewed interest in Bottled-in-Bond spirits and they are delivering.
Bottled-in-Bond is not just a Whiskey subcategory. In 2016, Heaven Hill, a great American spirits company, launched their first Bottled-in-Bond Brandy under their Christian Brothers label. It’s a beautiful Brandy and like many old-school Bottled-in-Bond Whiskies, it’s a terrific bargain as well. Early this year (2023) Great Lakes Distillery in Milwaukee, WI became the first distillery to offer a Bottled-in-Bond Gin. Their Rehorst Bottled-in-Bond Gin strictly follows the rules being from one distillery, in one season, aged for four years in cask, and bottled at 100 proof.