Bottled in Bond rum?

[silverfish]

I'm reading the Regans The Book of Bourbon and in the "Bonded"

section in the History chapter, it mentions "...that only straight

whiskey could be bonded, although distillates other than whiskey -

rum for instance - that meet the requirements could also be Bottled

in Bond."

My question - does anyone know of a BIB Rum, either still being

produced or no longer made?

[matthew0715]

A quick online search came up with this picture from Felton & Son, Boston, MA.

And this page claims that gin was bottled in bond at one time.

[cowdery]

Why struggle with these questions when you can just consult the rules?

Sec. 5.42 Prohibited practices. ((3) & (4)

That doesn't, of course, give you an example but the heyday of "bottled in bond" was probably 1933 to maybe 1953 and there was lots of bonded everything back then.

Short answer, any type of spirit can be bonded if it meets the requirements in 5.42 ((3) & (4).

Here's a weird rule: this is one of the requirements for a product to be called "bonded."

(iii) Stored for at least four years in wooden containers wherein the spirits have been in contact with the wood surface except for gin and vodka which must be stored for at least four years in wooden containers coated or lined with paraffin or other substance which will preclude contact of the spirits with the wood surface.

(Emphasis mine.)

[doubleblank]

And Laird's makes a BIB apple brandy....or at least did at one time. I have a bottle open at home.

Randy

[Josh]

And Laird's makes a BIB apple brandy....or at least did at one time. I have a bottle open at home.

Randy

[OscarV]

And Laird's makes a BIB apple brandy....or at least did at one time. I have a bottle open at home.

Randy

Still does, I'm a big fan.:grin:

Yeah, it's available in MI. I like it, isn't it aged in used bourbon barrels?

[Gillman]

It is improbable that, shortly (or any time) after the appearance of this thread, someone would find a sample of bonded gin, but I have done just that.

Looking through my mom`s bar on a recent visit to Montreal, I found a sealed bottle of Burnett`s White Satin, a London dry gin. The label states it was made in Montreal by Distiller`s Corporation (Seagram-related). The paper stamp carried no mention of years (as later Canadian stamps did), but stated simply the gin was `Bottled in Bond under Government Supervision`. No ABV was mentioned, and it is hard to date the bottle, I`d think it is from the mid-1960`s or earlier. It has no French labelling on it, therefore it came out at a time when the law did not require this in Canada. That requirement came in I believe in the 1970`s. I don`t know what bonded meant at the time in Canada, it may of course have been different than for the U.S.

I opened the bottle and found the taste just as advertised, silky soft with a good juniper taste but other things happening as well, perhaps orange or rosewater. The gin was clean and without any off-tastes despite being in a cupboard only rarely opened. It may have been a gift to the family many years ago, we are not sure how it got there. On previous visists, I just never noticed it, preferring to sample Scotch or Canadian whisky (usually bottles again from 30-40 years ago, Cutty Sark, Wiser`s, brands of that type).

I toasted the 60`s, they made good gin then, but it is just as good today as recent threads have illustrated.

Gary

[cowdery]

Would Gary or anyone else care to venture a guess as to the purpose of "aging" a bottled-in-bond gin for four years in a barrel lined to prevent the spirit from being in contact with the wood? Presumably oxidation. Anything else? It does, after all, specify a wooden container. A stainless steel, glass or plastic tank won't do.

[Gillman]

Well, I`d think the bonding rules in the U.S. were meant primarily for whiskey. And it may be that once the rules were codified, other spirits were roped in as a kind of parity even though aging might not mean the same for gin, or vodka certainly, as for bourbon or straight rye. Indeed this would be why the exception exists for storage in lined containers for gin or vodka. Perhaps it was simply a way to accord the tax advantage to other spirits. Storage in lined containers may improve gin, Seagrams gin (mentioned in other threads) that was tinted yellow was aged for a time, indeed in wood in that case (but just for a few months I believe). Some tequila is considered improved when aged in re-used casks and some malt whisky certainly is improved we know even though it sometimes comes out of the barrels `white wine` in colour. But I think in the States for bonded spirits other than bourbon or rye, the main impetus was to grant a tax deferral, not recognise concurrently any significant quality improvement.

Gary

[cowdery]

Seagram's gin is an interesting case, though it should be noted that it is neither Bottled in Bond nor is it stored in coated containers. It is, instead, stored in used bourbon barrels for about three months, giving it a straw color. Although this is legal, they are not allowed to characterize it as "aged."

The rules make an allowance for something called "grain spirits," which is GNS that has been "stored in wooden containers." No duration is specified. This was a Seagram's thing, practiced at the Lawrenceburg, Indiana, distillery where both Seagram's Gin and Seagram's Seven Crown are made. Interestingly, the folks at Diageo don't seem to realize this is being done, but the Seagram's Seven label says it contains 75% grain spirits, not GNS.

[craigthom]

Would Gary or anyone else care to venture a guess as to the purpose of "aging" a bottled-in-bond gin for four years in a barrel lined to prevent the spirit from being in contact with the wood? Presumably oxidation. Anything else? It does, after all, specify a wooden container. A stainless steel, glass or plastic tank won't do.

My first thought is lobbying by coopers.