Bottled in bond

Old Overholt Bottled in Bond straight rye whiskey

Bottled in bond (BIB) is a label for an American-produced distilled beverage that has been aged and bottled according to a set of legal regulations contained in the United States government's Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits,[1] as originally specified in the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897.[2][3] As a reaction to widespread adulteration of American whiskey, the act made the federal government the guarantor of a spirit's authenticity, gave producers a tax incentive for participating and helped ensure proper accounting and the collection of tax that was due. Although the regulations apply to all spirits, most bonded spirits are whiskeys in practice.

To be labeled as bottled-in-bond or bonded, the liquor must be the product of one distillation season (January–June or July–December) by one distiller at one distillery. It must have been aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years and bottled at 100 (U.S.) proof (50% alcohol by volume). The bottled product's label must identify the distillery where it was distilled and, if different, where it was bottled.[4][5]

Some consumers consider the term to be an endorsement of quality, while many producers consider it archaic and do not use it.[5] Because bottled-in-bond whiskey must be the product of one distillation season, one distillery, and one distiller—whereas ordinary straight whiskey may be a product of the mingling of straight whiskeys (of the same grain type) with differing ages and producers within a single state—it may be regarded as a better indication of the distiller's skill, making it similar in concept to a single malt, small batch, or single barrel whiskey.

  1. ^ "Chapter I – Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms; Part 5 – Labeling And Advertising of Distilled Spirits". Title 27 – Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms. Alcohol And Tobacco Tax And Trade Bureau, U.S. Department Of The Treasury. Retrieved July 14, 2022.
  2. ^ 54th United States Congress (March 3, 1897). "Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 ~ P.L. 54-379" (PDF). 29 Stat. 626, Chapter 379 ~ House Bill 8582. United States Printing Office.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  3. ^ "H.R. 8582 ~ Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897" [Congressional Record: Proceedings and Debates of Fifty-Fourth Congress, Second Session, Volume XXIX]. HathiTrust Digital Library. Public Law 54-379 ~ 29 Stat. 626. United States Printing Office. 1897. pp. 8302–8726.
  4. ^ "Bottled in Bond Law & Legal Definition". USLegal.com Definitions. USLegal, Inc. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
  5. ^ a b Flicker, Jonah (September 24, 2015). "Everything you need to know about bottled-in-bond". Paste. Retrieved September 25, 2015.