A brief history of the tax stamp…
The tax stamp was originally used to represent that taxes on an item were already paid by its manufacturer or vendor. Originated by the British, early colonial America continued this tradition on many different types of goods, such as alcohol, tea, and tobacco.
A brief history of bourbon…
Distribution of whiskey was becoming an interesting problem as America began to grow in the early 1800s. In order to reach more states, distilleries would ship bourbon in old, wooden containers. As the liquid gold made its long journey down the Mississippi river, something magical would happen, and the whiskey would be transformed by the wood and temperature changes. Eventually, distilleries began aging their whiskey on purpose in more controlled environments. As whiskey was stored in warehouses after aging for a time before it was sold, the tax stamp was a way to show that taxes had been paid by the distiller.
A brief history of the bourbon problem…
With the first bourbon boom on the horizon, many scoundrels attempted to sell bourbon that was less than potable, by artificially adding dyes, poisons, chemicals, etc. Anything to move the bottle into the hands of the consumer. The United States saw a huge problem on its hands with the tarnishing of the reputation of its national drink. They needed to do something to ensure that only bourbon of the highest quality made it into the homes of the American public.
The Tax Stamp & 1897...
The stamp took on more significance than just taxes when the Bottled-in-Bond act of 1897 was enacted. This act tried to ensure that America's official spirit was quality-controlled (much like what the FDA is used for today). By bottling your bourbon at 100 proof, aging it for at least 4 years, distilling it within 1 season by 1 distillery, and not adding anything else to it, the US Government ensured that any bourbon marked with the BiB stamp was of the highest quality.
Today…
The Bottled-in-Bond moniker has less importance today. However, many distilleries continue to use it as a way of producing consistent, high quality bourbon. Every Bottled-in-Bond bourbon must still adhere to the guidelines and traditions from the original act. And each bottle will bear a unique tax stamp to represent the rich history from which it was born.
The Design...
My brother-in-law and I created unique tax stamps for every chip. Similar to any BiB offering, the rosette on the stamp is composed of complex, repeating patterns. The banner for the rosette for each chip is unique as well. The idea was that each chip has been stamped to show that taxes on it were paid.
The front displays a bourbon barrel and bottle to call back to the original discovery of aging and shipping whiskey. These chips were conceived, designed, and produced in a single chipping season. They are, in fact, Bottled-in-Bond.
The Chips!
In case anyone is interested, here are the original discussion & vote threads:
I have to say that I'm exhausted. I have some new found appreciation for custom sets. So much of your time and energy goes into making something that you can truly call your own. This was about an 11-month process from beginning to end. When I first proposed the idea to my brother-in-law, it was November of 2020. We had placed the order in December of 2020 and finalized all artwork by January 2021. It look less time for my kids to be created than this set. But it was worth it ... oh, so worth it...
And, finally, some examples of Bottled-in-Bond bourbons:
The tax stamp was originally used to represent that taxes on an item were already paid by its manufacturer or vendor. Originated by the British, early colonial America continued this tradition on many different types of goods, such as alcohol, tea, and tobacco.
A brief history of bourbon…
Distribution of whiskey was becoming an interesting problem as America began to grow in the early 1800s. In order to reach more states, distilleries would ship bourbon in old, wooden containers. As the liquid gold made its long journey down the Mississippi river, something magical would happen, and the whiskey would be transformed by the wood and temperature changes. Eventually, distilleries began aging their whiskey on purpose in more controlled environments. As whiskey was stored in warehouses after aging for a time before it was sold, the tax stamp was a way to show that taxes had been paid by the distiller.
A brief history of the bourbon problem…
With the first bourbon boom on the horizon, many scoundrels attempted to sell bourbon that was less than potable, by artificially adding dyes, poisons, chemicals, etc. Anything to move the bottle into the hands of the consumer. The United States saw a huge problem on its hands with the tarnishing of the reputation of its national drink. They needed to do something to ensure that only bourbon of the highest quality made it into the homes of the American public.
The Tax Stamp & 1897...
The stamp took on more significance than just taxes when the Bottled-in-Bond act of 1897 was enacted. This act tried to ensure that America's official spirit was quality-controlled (much like what the FDA is used for today). By bottling your bourbon at 100 proof, aging it for at least 4 years, distilling it within 1 season by 1 distillery, and not adding anything else to it, the US Government ensured that any bourbon marked with the BiB stamp was of the highest quality.
Today…
The Bottled-in-Bond moniker has less importance today. However, many distilleries continue to use it as a way of producing consistent, high quality bourbon. Every Bottled-in-Bond bourbon must still adhere to the guidelines and traditions from the original act. And each bottle will bear a unique tax stamp to represent the rich history from which it was born.
The Design...
My brother-in-law and I created unique tax stamps for every chip. Similar to any BiB offering, the rosette on the stamp is composed of complex, repeating patterns. The banner for the rosette for each chip is unique as well. The idea was that each chip has been stamped to show that taxes on it were paid.
The front displays a bourbon barrel and bottle to call back to the original discovery of aging and shipping whiskey. These chips were conceived, designed, and produced in a single chipping season. They are, in fact, Bottled-in-Bond.
The Chips!
In case anyone is interested, here are the original discussion & vote threads:
I have to say that I'm exhausted. I have some new found appreciation for custom sets. So much of your time and energy goes into making something that you can truly call your own. This was about an 11-month process from beginning to end. When I first proposed the idea to my brother-in-law, it was November of 2020. We had placed the order in December of 2020 and finalized all artwork by January 2021. It look less time for my kids to be created than this set. But it was worth it ... oh, so worth it...
And, finally, some examples of Bottled-in-Bond bourbons:
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... The matching dealer button to this set is actually based off of the $100 chip.
