Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond Bourbon Review

Brother’s Bond
Bottled in Bond
Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Age: 7 years
100 Proof
SRP: $59.99
Review

Please enjoy our Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond Bourbon Review!

Brother’s Bond Bourbon

Brother’s Bond Bourbon was originally launched in May 2021 by Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley of The Vampire Diaries and The Originals fame. I remember when I tried their first release. To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much, and thought Brother’s Bond was yet another celebrity brand. (Little did I know just how many, many more there would be!) However, I was very pleasantly surprised when I tasted their bourbon. In addition, the more I learned about Ian and Paul, and saw their dedication to their whiskey and related causes, the more impressed I became.

Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond Bourbon

Fast forward to October 2024, when they first released this Bottled in Bond Bourbon. At an impressive 7 years old, we know from some quick math, that it had to be distilled prior to May 2021. That’s OK. Bottled in Bond Bourbon can be distilled and bottled by two different distilleries, as long as they are named on the label. And they are. Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond Bourbon is distilled by MGPI of Indiana (aka Ross & Squibb) and bottled by Brother’s Bond Distilling Company LLC, with an address of Columbia, TN. There’s more to discuss here, but we’ll save that for another day.

The Specifics

As I already mentioned, Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond Bourbon has been aged for 7 years. To carry the Bottled in Bond designation, a bourbon must be aged at least 4 years, among other requirements. This bourbon is also bottled at the required 100 proof. Interestingly, it uses a unique mash bill of 51% corn, 39% rye, and 10% malted rye. Why is that unusual? First, because that’s a lot of rye! And second, because most bourbons utilize a small percentage of malted barley. Here, it’s malted rye instead. So, what’s it like?

Tasting Notes – Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond Bourbon Review

Let’s taste it:

🛏 Rested for 15 minutes in a Glencairn

👉🏻Nose: Sweet toffee; mild rye spices; subtle dark cherry and dried apricots; occasional wintergreen; then tart orange peel; later still is hot cinnamon gum; alcohol vapor appropriate for the proof
👉🏻Taste: Mildly sweet simple syrup and light honey; light toffee, tart orange citrus soon after; mild rye spice; mild dry oak; developing hot cinnamon spice
👉🏻Finish: Hot cinnamon spice, mild lingering simple syrup and honey; increasingly dry; mild smoky char, dry oak and tart orange citrus; fairly long; deep warmth

The nose of Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond Bourbon reveals quite a few layered flavors, many of them subtle. Mildly sweet toffee, mild rye spices and dark cherries lead off, along with dried apricots. Later on, wintergreen comes and goes. During one of my tastings, I noted some licorice, but I can’t find it every time. Later still, the tart orange peel becomes more conspicuous, and there are hints of the cinnamon spice that is soon to come. The alcohol vapor is appropriate for the proof.

The taste begins mildly sweet, with simple syrup, light honey, and light toffee. Soon after, tart orange citrus grows more apparent, joined by mild dry oak and rye spices. Hot cinnamon spice develops steadily, increasing in intensity and carrying through the fairly long finish, alongside a touch of lingering sweetness. The tart orange citrus persists to the end, while the finish turns increasingly dry, with dry oak and mild smoky char. All of those flavors linger for quite some time, leaving a pleasant warmth.

Conclusion

Brother’s Bond 7 Year Bottled in Bond Bourbon has quite the mix of layered flavors, especially on the nose. They seem to differ from sniff to sniff, and throughout the pour. The taste becomes more consistent, with a pleasant mix of sweet, tart, and spicy notes that carry into the increasingly dry finish. Overall, it’s a very enjoyable, easy-to-sip bourbon, with a profile that is presumably influenced by its high-rye mash bill and unusual use of malted rye. Have you tried Brother’s Bond Bottled in Bond Bourbon? What did you think? Cheers!🥃

Would you like to learn about some more whiskeys from this brand? Then check out our Brother’s Bond Rye Review and our Brother’s Bond Cask Strength Bourbon Review.

This sample was graciously provided by the brand for my review! I appreciate it!

Would you like to learn more about distilleries and bourbon? Are you planning a trip to Kentucky Distilleries? Maybe you would like to live the bourbon life vicariously through us? If any of these are true, then check out BourbonObsessed.com today!