Updated April 2026.
There is no official “highest-proof whiskey.” TTB whiskey has to be bottled at least 40% ABV (80 proof). Barrel-proof / cask-strength is whatever that barrel is read the neck. Brown-Forman’s US sheet prints Jack Daniel’s Single Barrel Barrel Proof as 62.5–70% (125–140 proof). A 1.5-ounce pour at 70% is 1.75 NIAAA drinks. We will not crown a 2026 winner or invent a still-strength record as a commercial bottle.
Related: 100-proof meaning, whiskey proof meaning, bottled in bond.
Proof is on the neck
| Language | What it has to mean |
|---|---|
| Whiskey (US) | ≥40% ABV / 80 proof |
| Bottled in bond | Exactly 100 proof (27 CFR 5.88) |
| JD Single Barrel Barrel Proof | 125–140 official band |
| 1.5 oz at 70% | 1.75 drinks |
A 750 mL 70% bottle is about 29 drinks. Four 140-proof pours are seven drinks. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- TTB 27 CFR 5.143 (whisky ≥40%); 5.88 (bonded = 100). legal.brown-forman.com US Product Info: JD Single Barrel Barrel Proof 62.5–70%.
- Still-strength / one-off records unused as a bottled SKU. NIAAA December 2025.