Laird's Straight Apple Brandy
Laird's Straight Apple Brandy is the flagship of America's oldest licensed distillery — 100 proof (50% ABV), bottled in bond, aged a minimum of 4 years in charred oak barrels, 750mL. Laird & Company has distilled in Scobeyville, New Jersey since 1780, and this is the original applejack: 100% straight apple brandy with no neutral spirits, blended from selected barrels and bottled at full bonded proof. It carries a 95-point Wine Enthusiast rating. Order online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA — the bartender's workhorse, in your home bar.
- Proof / ABV: 100 proof (50% ABV), bottled in bond
- Size: 750mL
- Age: Minimum 4 years in charred oak barrels
- Style: 100% straight apple brandy — no neutral spirits
- Origin: Scobeyville, New Jersey; distilling since 1780 (U.S.-grown apples)
- Rating: 95 Wine Enthusiast
America's Original Applejack, Bottled in Bond
When George Washington asked for the Laird family applejack recipe, he was asking for the ancestor of this bottle. Laird's Straight Apple Brandy is blended from selected barrels of 100% apple brandy — fresh apples washed, pulped, and pressed, the cider fermented and distilled, then aged at least four years in charred oak before bottling at a full 100 proof under the Bottled-in-Bond Act. That bonded designation is a guarantee: one distiller, one season, full proof. It's the expression the brand calls "demanded by the best bartenders worldwide," and it has earned that reputation one Jack Rose at a time. Explore more brandy and the full Laird's range.
Tasting Notes
Rich baked apple and spiced wood on the nose — the distillery's own descriptors — with the charred oak contributing vanilla, cinnamon, and a savory depth beneath the fruit. The palate is full and warming at 100 proof: concentrated apple, baking spice, and toasted oak, with no harsh edges. The finish is long, with lingering apple and spice.
How to Enjoy
This is the bottle for classic apple-brandy cocktails: the Jack Rose (with grenadine and lemon), the Applejack Rabbit, or a proper Old Fashioned variation. It also drinks well neat or with a single cube — the bonded proof holds up to dilution. In fall cooking, a splash deepens pan sauces and glazes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "bottled in bond" mean for Laird's Straight Apple Brandy?
It means the brandy is the product of one distiller at one distillery in a single season, aged at least four years in a bonded warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% ABV) — a U.S. government quality guarantee dating to 1897.
Is Laird's Straight Apple Brandy the same as applejack?
Essentially — this is the original applejack. "Applejack" was the colonial American name for apple brandy, and Laird's has made it continuously since 1780. This expression is 100% straight apple brandy with no neutral spirits added.
How old is Laird's Straight Apple Brandy?
It is aged a minimum of 4 years in charred oak barrels, per the official product page and the Bottled-in-Bond requirements.
Bring home the bottle George Washington asked about — order Laird's Straight Apple Brandy online from Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.