Read a bourbon label
Five details to check before comparing bottles.
Sources checked 10-15-2026.
Brand and whiskey type
The brand name identifies the product family. The class or type statement explains what the liquid is. Read both rather than treating a brand story as a production specification.
Proof and alcohol by volume
In the United States, proof is twice alcohol by volume. A bottle labeled 100 proof contains 50 percent alcohol by volume.
Age and who made it
Bottle age does not mean time spent on a shop shelf. Whiskey age refers to its qualifying time in wood before bottling. Where an age statement describes a blend, do not read it as the age of the oldest whiskey. Check the producer statement too: bottling and distilling are different roles.