Bottled in bond

Bottled in bond (BIB) is a label for an American-produced distilled beverage that has been aged and bottled according to a set of legal regulations contained in the United States government's Standards of Identity for Distilled Spirits,[1] as originally specified in the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897.

[2][3] As a reaction to widespread adulteration of American whiskey, the act made the federal government the guarantor of a spirit's authenticity, gave producers a tax incentive for participating and helped ensure proper accounting and the collection of tax that was due.

It must have been aged in a federally bonded warehouse under U.S. government supervision for at least four years and bottled at 100 (U.S.) proof (50% alcohol by volume).

[citation needed] The practice was also connected to tax law, which provided the primary incentive for distilleries to participate.

To ensure compliance, Treasury agents were assigned to control access to so-called bonded warehouses at the distilleries.