Updated March 2026.
100-proof whiskey is 50% alcohol by volume. In the US, proof is twice ABV, so 100 proof is exactly half ethanol. A 1.5-ounce pour is 1.25 US standard drinks (NIAAA: 14 g alcohol in 1.5 oz of 40%). Same jigger as 80 proof, 25% more ethanol.
Bottled-in-bond whiskey, under the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond Act, must be bottled at 100 proof, from one distillery in one season, aged at least four years in a bonded warehouse. Not every 100-proof bottle is bonded. Bonded bottles say so. Barrel-proof can be 100, or 110, or 130 — it is not a synonym.
100 proof vs nearby labels
| Label | ABV | 1.5 oz as std drinks | What it is |
|---|---|---|---|
| 80 proof (US whiskey floor) | 40% | 1.00 | Most White Label–class bourbon |
| 100 proof | 50% | 1.25 | Includes bottled-in-bond when the other Act rules are met |
| Bottled-in-bond | 50% exactly | 1.25 | 100 proof + one DSP + one season + ≥4 years bonded |
| Barrel proof | varies | do the math | Not required to be 100 |
Calories scale with ethanol. USDA’s 97-kcal line is for 80 proof. 100 proof in 1.5 ounces is about 120–125 kcal if unflavored. See bourbon calories and whiskey proof meaning.
Wild Turkey 101 is 50.5% ABV — close, not 100 proof. Read the neck. Four 1.5-ounce 100-proof pours are five standard drinks. NIAAA’s binge pattern for men is five drinks in about two hours; for women, four. That is a health line, not a target. Do not drive.
Sources
- TTB: proof = 2 × % ABV; whiskey ≥40% ABV (27 CFR 5.143).
- Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 / TTB bottled-in-bond rules: 100 proof, one distillery, one season, ≥4 years.
- NIAAA standard drink (December 2025).