by WhiskeyCollector » Tue May 19, 2015 8:59 pm
In 1897 the Bottled In Bond act was passed and it set the standard for quality whiskey. It was and still is a way to guarantee the strength and quality of the product and to this day I think it's still the most regulated and restricted kind of whiskey you can get.
From Wikipedia:
"To be labeled as Bottled-in-Bond or Bonded, the liquor must be the product of one distillation season (January to December) and one distiller at one distillery. It must have been aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years and bottled at 100 (U.S.) proof (50% alcohol by volume). The bottled product's label must identify the distillery where it was distilled and, if different, where it was bottled. Only spirits produced in the United States may be designated as bonded."
Being a fan of history, a collector, and having a bottle of bonded whiskey made in 1914, it's only natural that I would try to get as many bonded whiskeys as possible.
There used to be a lot more of them than what we have today. With the increased popularity of bourbon and old style cocktails it's no wonder bonded bourbons seem to be making a comeback.