Updated March 2026.
Bottled in bond is a TTB class, not a flavor score. Under the spirit must come from one distillery in one distillation season, age at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottle at 100 proof (50% ABV). A 1.5-ounce pour is 1.25 NIAAA drinks. If the bottle is bourbon, it still also has to meet “Bonded” on a shelf talker without those facts is marketing.
Related: bonded bottles, Evan Williams line, Old Forester line.
The four rules
| Rule | 27 CFR 5.88 |
|---|---|
| Producer | One distilled spirits plant |
| Season | One distillation season |
| Age | At least four years in bond |
| Bottle proof | 100 / 50% |
| 1.5 oz drinks | 1.25 |
A 750 mL 50% bottle is about 21 drinks. Four bonded pours are five drinks. Heaven Hill’s Evan Williams Bottled-in-Bond and Old Forester 1897 are widely distributed examples — not a ranking. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- TTB 27 CFR 5.88 (bottled in bond); 5.143 (bourbon); 5.74 (age statements).
- Brand examples from official pages used this project. NIAAA December 2025.
- 27 CFR 5.143