If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Robb Report may receive an affiliate commission.
One of the most successful recent celebrity spirits—not to mention one that is actually good, which is no small feat—is Brother’s Bond Bourbon. The brand, which was cofounded by actors Ian Somerhalder and Paul Wesley, sources its whiskey from MGP and other distilleries to create different expressions, and the latest is a new bottled-in-bond bourbon that happens to be its oldest release to date.
Somerhalder and Wesley founded Brother’s Bond in 2021 after years of appearing onscreen together in the TV show Vampire Diaries, during which they developed a friendship and discovered their mutual love of whiskey. The first release was a straight bourbon that was distilled and aged at MGP, and since then they have released a cask-strength bourbon, a blended rye, and most recently a regenerative grain bourbon. The new 7-Year Old Bottled-in-Bond is the first high-rye mashbill for the brand: 51 percent corn, 39 percent rye, and ten percent malted rye, to be exact. As required by law to meet the bottled-in-bond designation, the bourbon is 100 proof, more than four years old (seven in this case), and the product of one distillery and one distillation season. “The Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897 was one of the first consumer protection laws in the United States,” said Somerhalder in a statement. “It allowed Americans to be assured they were consuming a quality product made to the strictest standards. Our Bottled-in-Bond expression which has been aged over seven years follows this same 100-plus year tradition to create a superior bourbon that we can’t wait to share with fans across the world.”
We did not have a chance to try this new whiskey yet, but here are some of the details. It was distilled, like most of the other Brother’s Bond expressions, at MGP in Indiana, aged in heavily charred barrels for a minimum of seven years, and bottled without chill filtration. Per official tasting notes, on the nose you’ll find vanilla, toasted oak, caramel, and dried fruit. The palate opens with butterscotch, toffee, and maple syrup, followed by oak, vanilla, and caramel on the finish.
You can find Brother’s Bond 7-Year-Old Bottled-in-Bond Bourbon (SRP $60) available to purchase from ReserveBar now, along with the rest of the brand’s portfolio.
