Updated July 2026.
Bottled in bond is a defined TTB term. Single barrel is not. Bonded whiskey is 100 proof / 50% ABV, one DSP, one season, and at least four years. A 1.5-ounce bonded pour is 1.25 NIAAA drinks. Single barrel only means one barrel if the claim is true — proof is whatever that barrel became.
A bonded single-barrel bottle can exist. The words stack; they are not opposites. Related: small batch vs single barrel, barrel proof, 100 proof.
Statute vs marketing
| Bottled in bond | Single barrel | |
|---|---|---|
| TTB class? | Yes — labeling rule 5.88 | No |
| Proof | 100 / 50% | Whatever the barrel is |
| Age | ≥4 years | Only if stated |
| 1.5 oz drinks | 1.25 | Do the neck math |
| Example | Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond; many 100-proof ryes | Blanton’s Original 93 proof |
A 750 mL bonded bottle is about 21.2 drinks. Four bonded pours are five drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. No 2026 MSRP. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- TTB 27 CFR 5.88 bottled in bond; 5.143 whiskey. No single-barrel class.
- Blanton’s Original 93 proof (Buffalo Trace page, this project).
- NIAAA December 2025.
- (27 CFR 5.88)