Updated March 2026.
“Craft bourbon” is store English, not a TTB class. If the bottle is bourbon, it still needs the rules: mash ≥51% corn, distilled in the United States at ≤160 proof, stored in new charred oak at ≤125 proof, and bottled at ≥40% ABV. A 1.5-ounce pour at 40% is one NIAAA drink and 1.25 at 50%. We will not invent a 2026 ranking or an MSRP.
Related: single-barrel bourbon, Four Roses types, easy-to-find bourbon.
Read the class, not the adjective
| Word on the shelf | What the law actually requires |
|---|---|
| Craft / artisan / small | Not a TTB bourbon class |
| Bourbon | 27 CFR 5.143 |
| Straight | At least two years, no added flavor/color |
| Bottled in bond | 27 CFR 5.88 — one DSP, one season, ≥4 years, 100 proof |
| Single barrel / small batch | House language unless the label is more specific |
Four Roses, New Riff, Wilderness Trail, and Willett show up in US distribution. That is not a score. Proof is on the neck. A 750 mL 45% bottle is about 19 drinks. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143 (whisky / bourbon); 5.88 (bottled in bond); 5.74 (age statements).
- Named bottles are distribution examples, not a tasting. NIAAA December 2025. No mash %.