In 1897, the Bottled in Bond Act established the term “bottled-in-bond.” Protecting the authenticity and integrity of aged spirits in America was the aim of the act.
What exactly is bottled-in-bond, and how has this custom survived to the present day? We outline all the details you need to know about whiskey that has been bottled in a bond.
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What Is Bottled-in-bond?
Whiskey was typically purchased from barrels at taverns, supermarkets, and pharmacies for the majority of the 19th century. Old Forester, a brand that is still in existence today, didn’t start packaging its bourbon in sealed glass bottles until 1870. Even then, there was no guarantee that what you were purchasing was genuine whiskey as opposed to some other grain spirit that had been colored and flavored with things like iodine, tobacco, and turpentine. Every drink put drinkers’ health and even lives at risk.
Long History Of Bottled-in-bond
In the 1800s, adulterating whiskey was quite common. A few strategies that were frequently used to improve margins and make bad whiskey taste better-included flavoring and blending genuine whiskey spirit with neutral grain spirits. A popular spirit that was imitated was bourbon, which was done using flavors and colorings. John G. Wilson, the Treasury Secretary under President Grover Cleveland The Bottled-in-Bond Act was created by Kentuckian Carlisle to shield straight whiskey distillers and consumers from subpar whiskey.” Colonel Edmund Haynes Taylor, Jr. (yes, that E.H. Taylor, Jr.) established the bar for what would be regarded as authentic whiskey, enabling consumers to know they were getting the real deal.
Bottled-in-bond: What Does It Exactly Mean?
According to the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, whiskeys intended for packaging must be produced at the same distillery by the same distiller during the same distilling season, whether it be spring or fall. Then, it must age for at least four years under federal government oversight in a federally bonded warehouse before being cut and bottled at precisely 100 proof.
When you poured a dram of whiskey with the Bottled-in-Bond tax strip over the cork, you knew exactly what you were drinking because the only thing you could add to it was pure water. Additionally, you were receiving the purest representation of a distiller’s whiskey-making abilities.
With the exception of single barrel whiskey, according to Haara, “there is nowhere to hide with Bottled-in-Bond. When a distiller is restricted to barrels that are all the exact same age, it takes confidence and skill.” Regardless of how good those qualities are, the designation at least gives the drinker the reassurance that the spirit they are sipping is not tainted with actual trash. “Bottled-in-Bond has always guaranteed purity and authenticity but never quality, according to him.
How Is “bottled-in-bond” Used Today?
From the 19th century to the present, distilleries producing whiskey under the Bottled-in-Bond tradition include Heaven Hill, Buffalo Trace, and other venerable whiskey brands. Despite the fact that whiskey drinkers may not be as concerned about purchasing fake whiskey, the Bottled-in-Bond designation provides drinkers with transparency and identifies the distillery from which it was produced. It is very much in line with the notion of “craft,” whether it be in the worlds of beer, wine, or whiskey, and its increase in popularity among drinkers.
Before starting a whiskey distillery, Jay Erisman, one of the co-founders of New Riff Distilling, worked in the retail of alcoholic beverages. Bottled-in-Bond was referred to as a “dying category” by Erisman at The Party Source, one of the best liquor stores in the nation.” The Bottled-in-Bond section was primarily used by elderly men to purchase cheap, high-proof alcohol. Then it hit him.
Eight Oaks Bottled-in-bond
Veterans Cut is a single-barrel, nearly five-year-old, bottled-in-bond bourbon whiskey that was created at Eight Oaks.
It has balanced notes of vanilla and honey, a touch of smoke, and a slightly peaty finish with notes of spice and dried cherry. It was double distilled and aged to perfection in a hand-selected white oak barrel.
As part of our ongoing efforts to support our community, Veterans Cut is now available. The previous release aided Northwestern Lehigh Veterans Memorial.
Watch for a future release of our bourbon whiskey that is bottled in a bond!
Read More: How To Wrap A Bottle?
