How to Read a Bourbon Label (Without Googling Every Word)

Standing in the bourbon aisle can feel overwhelming fast. Bottles are covered in words like Straight, Single Barrel, Bottled in Bond, Small Batch, Barrel Proof—and somehow everyone else seems to know exactly what they mean. The truth is, bourbon labels are packed with information, but not all of it actually matters. Once you know what to look for, reading a label becomes less intimidating and way more useful.

Let’s start with the most important word: bourbon. By law, bourbon must be made in the U.S., contain at least 51% corn, be aged in new charred oak barrels, and be distilled to specific proof limits. If it says bourbon, you already know more about what’s inside than you might think.

Next up is “Straight Bourbon.” This one actually means something. Straight bourbon has been aged for at least two years and contains no added flavors or coloring. If there’s no age statement on the bottle, that means it’s been aged at least four years. This is one of the clearest quality signals on a label.

You’ll also see proof, which is simply twice the alcohol percentage. A 90-proof bourbon is 45% alcohol. Higher proof doesn’t automatically mean harsher—it often means more concentrated flavor. If you see Barrel Proof or Cask Strength, that means the bourbon was bottled straight from the barrel with little to no dilution. These tend to be bold and intense, but also full of character.

Then there’s Bottled in Bond, one of the most misunderstood terms. It comes from a law passed in 1897 and guarantees four things: the bourbon was made at one distillery, in one distilling season, aged at least four years in a government-supervised warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof. It’s not marketing—it’s a real standard.

Some terms sound official but aren’t tightly regulated. Small Batch doesn’t have a legal definition. It usually means fewer barrels were blended together, but how many is entirely up to the distillery. Single Barrel, on the other hand, does mean something: everything in that bottle came from one specific barrel, which means flavors can vary slightly from bottle to bottle.

Age statements are another area where people get tripped up. If a bourbon says “10 Years Old,” that means the youngest bourbon in the bottle is 10 years old. If there’s no age listed, don’t assume it’s young—it may simply meet the minimum requirement.

At the end of the day, the best bourbon label readers focus on a few things: proof, age (if listed), and whether it’s Straight or Bottled in Bond. Everything else is context. The label is a tool—not a test—and once you know how to read it, choosing a bottle becomes a lot more fun.

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The Proof Point

Ignore the buzzwords. Focus on Straight, Bottled in Bond, proof, and age—those tell you far more about the bourbon than “small batch” ever will.