Bottled-in-Bond is the oldest quality guarantee in American whiskey: under the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, a bottle carrying the designation must come from one distillery, one distiller and one distilling season, age at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and be bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% ABV) under government supervision. At Del Mesa Liquor, our family-owned San Diego, California store, the bonded shelf runs from a $49.99 modern benchmark to a nine-year wheated decanter at $649.99 — every bottle below is in stock and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
Why the Bond Still Matters
The 1897 Act was America's first consumer protection law, written when rectifiers were stretching whiskey with neutral spirits and worse. The bond replaced trust with paperwork: a single season's make, a single distillery, a bonded warehouse and a mandated 100 proof. Bonded bottles remain the value hunter's shortcut through our bourbon whiskey collection — the rules guarantee age, origin and strength before you ever pull the cork.
The Bonded Bottles in Stock
- New Riff Bottled in Bond Bourbon Whiskey — $49.99. Newport, Kentucky's modern benchmark: 65% corn, 30% rye and 5% malted barley, aged four years, bottled at 100 proof with no chill filtration. Butterscotch and fresh oak over vanilla, caramel and rye spice.
- Barton 1792 Bottled In Bond Bourbon Whiskey — $59.99. From Bardstown's Barton 1792 Distillery (operating since 1879, now part of Sazerac), built on the house high-rye mash bill and bottled at exactly the bonded 100 proof in a 750mL bottle.
- Smoke Wagon Bottled In Bond Straight Rye Whiskey — $64.99. Smoke Wagon's first bottled-in-bond whiskey: a 51% rye / 49% malted barley mash bill in the barley-forward Kentucky rye tradition, distilled in Indiana and aged and bottled by Nevada H&C Distilling in Las Vegas. More bonded spice lives in our rye whiskey collection.
- Stranahan's Bottled in Bond 11 Year Old American Single Malt Whiskey — $159.99. Stranahan's first-ever bonded release and the oldest Colorado Bottled-in-Bond whiskey ever released: 100% malted barley from a single January–June 2015 season, 11 years in new American white oak with a level 3 char, cut with Rocky Mountain water from Eldorado Springs.
- Old Fitzgerald Bottled-In-Bond 9 Year Old Bourbon Whiskey Fall 2018 — $649.99. The second release of Heaven Hill's decanter series: wheated bourbon from October 2008 barrels, bottled August 2018 at 100 proof in the ornate decanter with the black fall label, from the Bernheim Distillery in Louisville.
How to Drink Bonded Whiskey
At 100 proof, bonded whiskey is the classic cocktail proof — the strength the old bartending books assumed, so Manhattans and Old Fashioneds land balanced without extra dilution. A splash of water opens the rye spice on the New Riff and Smoke Wagon, while the wheated Old Fitzgerald rewards slow sipping on its own. See also our single barrel bourbon guide and rye whiskey guide; shipping details are on our shipping and return policy page, and the full range is on the Del Mesa blog.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does bottled-in-bond mean?
It is a legal designation from the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897: the whiskey must be made by one distiller at one distillery in one distilling season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% ABV) under US government supervision.
Is bottled-in-bond whiskey always 100 proof?
Yes. Exactly 100 proof is written into the law, which is why every bottle in this guide — from the $49.99 New Riff to the Old Fitzgerald decanter — sits at 50% ABV.
What is the best value bottled-in-bond bourbon?
New Riff Bottled in Bond at $49.99 is the benchmark: a high-rye 65/30/5 mash bill, four years old and non-chill filtered. Barton 1792 Bottled In Bond at $59.99 is the classic Bardstown alternative.
Where can I buy bottled-in-bond whiskey online?
All five bottles in this guide are in stock and available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, a family-owned store in San Diego, California, with the current bonded range in the bourbon and rye collections.