Bib & Tucker will release its 8-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon, a 100-proof expression aged twice the four-year minimum the bottled-in-bond designation requires.
Following in the tradition of Bottled-in-Bond, the expression was distilled in a single season in spring 2018 at Tennessee Distilling Group in Columbia, Tennessee, aged for eight years, and bottled at 100 proof. A Tennessee high-rye mash bill sets the bourbon apart from other bourbons. Made from corn primarily sourced within 100 miles of the distillery, the whiskey is charcoal-mellowed through the Lincoln County Process, aged for at least eight years in new American oak barrels, and bottled with minimal non-chill filtration.
James Joseph, Apprentice Blender at Bib & Tucker, stewarded the 8-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond under Master Blender Alan Kennedy in his first release for the brand. Joseph chose and blended whiskeys from mature barrels distilled during the spring 2018 season, selecting casks that produced balance and character over eight years.
“Something I’ve learned from my mentors in this industry is that, when it comes to blending whiskey, your job is to recognize when the whiskey is ready,” said James Joseph, Apprentice Blender at Bib & Tucker. “With our first Bottled-in-Bond release, I had the opportunity to work within a standard that’s been respected for generations, so every choice came back to the quality in the barrel and letting the flavors express themselves. It is a process I was taught early on: respect the tradition, trust the maturation process, and don’t take shortcuts.”
As Bib & Tucker’s first bonded bourbon, the release honors those traditions and takes up the standard by choice, bringing renewed relevance to one of the country’s oldest whiskey standards.
“For me, it wasn’t about making a whiskey that chased a trend, it was about selecting and blending barrels that could meet a standard that generations of distillers believed was worth protecting,” Joseph said. “When you start with well-made whiskey and stay disciplined throughout the process, you don’t have to manufacture a story. The whiskey tells it for you.”
Bib & Tucker 8-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon will be available year-round nationally beginning in September for $64.99
