The Cheap Bottled-In-Bond Bourbon You Shouldn't Look Down On - Tasting Table

"Simply put, this designation carries weight because it represents federal standards established way back in 1897, back when whiskey merchants were literally poisoning customers with adulterated spirits cut with everything from turpentine to tobacco spit. To be "bottled-in-bond" basically means the government has enforced rules that the bourbon is made properly - a process that can add to the final price."

"It goes for $25, give or take. And yet, true to its name, it meets every single requirement that the expensive bonded bottles do: the same master distiller controls the entire run at one distillery during one season, federal authorities oversee at least four years of barrel aging in bonded warehouses, and the final product hits your glass at exactly 100 proof."

Bottled-in-bond is a federal designation created in 1897 to prevent adulterated spirits by enforcing strict production and bottling rules. Benchmark Bonded sells for about $25 and meets bottled-in-bond criteria: single distillery, single season, the same master distiller, at least four years aging in bonded warehouses, and bottling at 100 proof. Benchmark Bonded is produced at Buffalo Trace using Mash Bill #1, the mash bill behind Eagle Rare and E.H. Taylor. The aroma offers vanilla and caramel from charred oak, with oak tannins and baking spices. The palate emphasizes Buffalo Trace's fruit-and-chocolate character. The finish shows some roughness, but the whisky offers quality and value as an affordable sipping bourbon and workhorse.

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