Exploring Bottled in Bond Whiskey
Not that long ago I read Bernie Lubbers' book Bourbon Whiskey - Our Native Spirit. In the book he wrote fondly of bonded bourbon whiskey. For those unfamiliar with the term bonded whiskey, also labeled as bottled in bond, refers to whiskey that has been: aged for at least 4 years, bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% alcohol), the product of one single distillery, and the product of one distilling season. To be honest, before reading his book, I hadn't thought much of bonded whiskeys. Most of what I saw seemed to occupy the bottom shelf in the liquor store or back bar of my local watering holes so I assumed they weren't as good as the whiskeys higher up on the shelf. But, as I discovered in my blind tasting of inexpensive whiskies, price and enjoyment are not always correlated.
Inspired by Bernie's passion for bottled in bond whiskeys I've decided to search them out and allow myself to have an open mind. According to Bernie's website there are now 17 commercially available bonded whiskeys, up from 13 just three years ago, and two others only available at the Jim Beam Visitor Center and the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center.
To the best of my knowledge all of these Bottled in Bond Whiskeys are available for retail purchase somewhere in the US. Updated: 7/3/16, 12/30/17, 06/12/19, 10/7/19
California
Straight Rye Whiskey B.I.B.
Colorado
A.D. Laws Four Grain Straight Bourbon B.I.B.
A.D. Laws Secale Straight Rye B.I.B.
Straight Malt Whiskey B.I.B.
Georgia
B.I.B. Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Kentucky
Old Forester 1897 B.I.B.
Early Times B.I.B.
Old Heaven Hill B.I.B.
Evan Williams B.I.B
Rittenhouse Rye B.I.B.
Mellow Corn B.I.B.
Old Fitzgerald B.I.B. (Discontinued)
Old Fitzgerald B.I.B (Decanter Spring)
Old Fitzgerald B.I.B (Decanter Fall)
J.W. Dant B.I.B.
J.T.S. Brown B.I.B.
T.W. Samuels B.I.B.
Henry McKenna 10yr Single Barrel B.I.B.
William Heavenhill B.I.B. (Bourbon Heritage Center Only)
Jim Beam Bonded B.I.B.
Old Grand Dad B.I.B.
Old Tub B.I.B (only at Beam Visitor Center)
Bourbon B.I.B.
Rye Whiskey B.I.B.
Sazerac Company: Buffalo Trace Distillery
Very Old Barton 6 Year Old B.I.B.
Colonel E.H. Taylor Straight Rye B.I.B.
Colonel E.H. Taylor Single Barrel B.I.B.
1792 B.I.B. Bourbon
Old Maysville Club B.I.B. Kentucky Straight Rye Malt Whisky
Small Batch Bourbon B.I.B.
Bourbon Single Barrel B.I.B.
Old Bardstown B.I.B.
New York
Bonticou Crag Straight Malt Rye Whiskey B.I.B.
77 Whiskey Bonded Rye
77 Whiskey Bonded Rye & Corn
McKenzie Bourbon Whiskey B.I.B.
B.I.B Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Ragtime Rye B.I.B.
Ohio
Ohio Straight Bourbon B.I.B.
Oregon
B.I.B. Bourbon Whiskey
B.I.B. Wheat Whiskey
J. Becher Straight American Rye Whiskey B.I.B.
Pennsylvania
Dad’s Hat Pennsylvania Straight Rye Whiskey B.I.B.
Deep Cut B.I.B. Organic Straight Rye Whiskey
Tennessee
Jack Daniels B.I.B. (Travel Retail Only)
Diageo: Cascade Hollow Distillery
George Dickel TN Whisky B.I.B.
Tennessee Bourbon B.I.B.
Virginia
Catoctin Creek Distilling Company
Rabble Rouser® Bottled In Bond Rye Whisky