🥃 Bottled in Bond
US legal label since 1897: spirit from one season and one distillery, at least 4 years in oak barrels under supervision, bottled at 50% ABV (100 proof).
Bottled in Bond is a legal US label on a spirit bottle. It means that one distiller made the spirit from one kind of mash at one distillery in one season, aged it at least four years in oak barrels in a bonded warehouse under government supervision, and bottled it at exactly 50% ABV (100 proof).
History. The Bottled-in-Bond Act was passed on 3 March 1897. Before it, whiskey on the US market was often diluted, coloured and mixed with almost anything. The law allowed spirit to be bottled right in the bonded warehouse, and such bottles received a green government stamp. Trade publications often call it the first US consumer protection law.
Rules today. The requirements are now set out in 27 CFR § 5.88. The spirit must be of one class and from one season, unaltered except for filtering or chilling; it may be reduced only with pure water. The label shows the real name of the distillery and the plant numbers where the spirit was distilled and bottled. An imported spirit may carry the label if the law of its country of origin allows it.
On the shelf. The label is most often seen on bourbon and rye whiskey: under these rules a straight bourbon or straight rye must rest in the barrel for twice its minimum period. The rules also allow the label for brandy, gin or vodka; vodka is then kept in barrels covered with paraffin. The label guarantees origin and age, not taste.
Why it matters to you. Bottled in Bond is a short answer to the questions "where from and how old", more useful than words like "premium". But 50% ABV is stronger than the usual 40%, so the same serving contains more alcohol. WHO reminds us: there is no safe amount of alcohol.
Facts
| Year founded | 1897 (Bottled-in-Bond Act, passed 3 March 1897) |
|---|---|
| Legal basis | 27 CFR § 5.88 (USA) |
| Distillation method | one distillation season, one distiller, one distillery |
| Minimum maturation | at least 4 years in oak barrels in a warehouse under supervision |
| Alcohol (% vol.) | exactly 50% ABV (100 proof), reduced only with pure water |
How it connects to Spirits
🥃 Bottled in Bond → kind of → 🏷️ Label, law and health → kind of → 🥃 Spirits
Links
- Packed in
- 🍷 Oak barrel
- What it affects
- 🍷 Alcohol and health, 🍷 Drunk driving
- Related to
- 🥃 Bourbon whiskey, 🥃 Straight rye whiskey, 🥃 Whiskey Rebellion
- Traditions
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans
- Part of
- 🏷️ Label, law and health
- Similar and different
- 🥃 Age statement (age on the label), 🥃 George Dickel Bottled in Bond, 🥃 Old Forester 1897 Bottled in Bond, 🥃 Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond
Frequently asked questions
Is it true that Bottled in Bond means a better whiskey?
No. The label guarantees one distillery, one distillation season, at least four years in the barrel and 50% ABV, but not the taste or the quality of the raw materials.
What is the strength of a Bottled in Bond spirit?
Exactly 100 proof, that is 50% ABV; it may be reduced only with pure water (27 CFR § 5.88).
How many years is such a spirit aged?
At least four years in oak barrels in a warehouse under supervision; the age on the label may be longer.
Are there Bottled in Bond vodka or gin?
Yes, the rules allow it: vodka is kept four years in barrels covered with paraffin, gin in such barrels or in ordinary ones. In practice the label is almost always found on whiskey.
Can an imported spirit carry the Bottled in Bond label?
Yes, if it meets the same requirements and the law of its country of origin allows such bottling; the country name must stand directly before the label.
What to read next
- 🍷 Alcohol and health — Alcohol in any drink is harmful in large amounts, and the risks grow with the quantity.
- 🥃 Bourbon whiskey — American whiskey from a mash of at least 51% corn, stored in new charred oak barrels and bottled at 40% ABV or more.
- 🧑🤝🧑 Americans — The people of the United States in North America, descendants of settlers and Native peoples; their home-grown cheese is California's Monterey Jack.
- 🥃 George Dickel Bottled in Bond — Tennessee whiskey releases from George Dickel from a single distillation season; the 2024 release is 12 years old and 50% ABV; mash of 84% corn.
- 🥃 Age statement (age on the label) — Age mark on the label of whisky or brandy: under EU, Scottish and US law it is the age of the youngest spirit in the bottle; for Scotch, it is given in years only.
Similar
🥃 Age statement (age on the label) · 🥃 Geographical indication (GI) of spirit drinks · 🥃 Scotch Whisky Association (industry body) · 🥃 Sazerac · 🥃 Rye and corn in whisky · 🥃 Blue agave
⚠️ Spirit drinks contain alcohol and are for adults only. Alcohol harms health. Do not drink during pregnancy or before driving; check the label for ingredients and possible allergens.
Sources
- 27 CFR § 5.88 Bottled in bond (Cornell LII): same kind and class of materials; same distilling season, same distiller, same distillery; min. 4 years in wooden containers (vodka — paraffin-lined, gin — lined or unlined); only filtration and similar treatment; reduced only with pure water to 100 proof; plant numbers on label; imports only if the law of the country allows
- Distillery Trail: What is Bottled-in-Bond? Text of the Bottled-in-Bond Act, approved 3 March 1897 (eight sections, stamps, real name of the distiller)
- Distiller Magazine (ADI): What the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 Means Today (adulteration before the Act; green government stamp; often called the first US consumer protection law)
- WHO/Europe: No level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health (04.01.2023)