Bottled-in-Bond
Bottled-in-bond is a legal designation under the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 for spirits that are the product of one distillation season and one distiller at one distillery, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof.
The bonded label was the United States government's first consumer-protection guarantee of authenticity. Meeting it requires proving single-season, single-distillery production, four years under bond, and 100-proof bottling, which depends on accurate barrel, season, and proof records. The standards are defined in 27 CFR 5.88.
What are the bottled-in-bond requirements?
The spirit must be the product of one distillation season and one distiller at one distillery, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof. The standards are set in 27 CFR 5.88 (eCFR Title 27).
Why was the Bottled-in-Bond Act created?
The Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 was one of the United States government's first consumer-protection laws, a guarantee of authenticity at a time when spirits were widely adulterated. Meeting the standard today still depends on accurate season, distillery, age, and proof records.
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