Case in point: a bottle of Old Heaven Hill bourbon states that it is 80 proof and has been aged for 8 years.
However, its 100-proof variety which IS bottled in bond makes no age claims whatsoever. All it’s doing is stating that it is 100-proof.
So, why? My understanding is that bottled in bond liquor does nothing but sit inside a government warehouse. Why? To ensure that the alcohol content is really 100-proof? Doubtful.
Aren’t there already regulatory government bodies in place that would make Old Heaven Hill admit if their booze wasn’t 80-proof and 8 years old?
“Bottle in bond” is solely used for tax purposes and not QA. To be bottle in bond, the alcohol must be:
American straight whiskey bottled at a single distillary in a single season
Aged four or more years
Not less than 100 proof when bottled and only distilled water could have been used to lower the proof to 100.
Bottled In Bond came about waay back when when whisky was only sold by the barrel. Bottlers would pass off all sorts of adulterated dreck as brand-name whisky. The response was “Bottled In Bond.” That way got got a government guarantee that what you were purchasing was what the bottle said.
By the by, Old Grand Dad Bonded is lightyears better than their regular bottling.
My understanding was that bottled in bond meant that taxes didn’t have to be paid until it was withdrawn from the bonded warehouse. If you are aging a whiskey for ten years, say, it clearly makes a big difference as to when you pay the taxes.
