THEDAILYWHISKY

Stranahan’s Bottled in Bond is the Denver distillery’s first release made to the 1897 Bottled-in-Bond standard, and it is billed as the oldest Colorado Bottled-in-Bond whiskey ever released. It is an 11-year-old American single malt, distilled from 100% malted barley in a single 2015 season, matured in new American white oak in a federally bonded Denver warehouse, and bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% ABV).
It arrives on 1 August 2026 to mark Colorado’s 150th and America’s 250th anniversary. Price is not yet confirmed. Initial availability is Colorado, California, Texas and Florida, with national online sales later in 2026.

The news

Bottled in Bond is a standard written for American whiskey in 1897. Stranahan’s has now applied it to an 11-year-old American single malt, and the result is, by the distillery’s account, the oldest Colorado Bottled-in-Bond whiskey ever released.

This is Stranahan’s first-ever Bottled in Bond bottling. It lands on 1 August 2026, Colorado’s 150th birthday, as the anchor of a summer marking both the state’s 150th and America’s 250th anniversary.

The key facts

It is an 11-year-old American single malt whiskey, distilled from 100% malted barley during a single distilling season from January to June 2015. It matured in new American white oak barrels with a level 3 char, aged in a federally bonded warehouse in Denver, then cut to exactly 100 proof (50% ABV) with Rocky Mountain water from Eldorado Springs. The bottles are hand-filled, individually numbered, and released as a small-batch limited run. The first release from the run is bottle No. 0001.

What Bottled in Bond actually means

Bottled in Bond is one of American whiskey’s oldest quality marks. To carry it, a whiskey must be the product of one distillery and one distilling season, aged at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse under government supervision, and bottled at exactly 100 proof. The U.S. government created the standard with the Bottled-in-Bond Act of 1897, at a time when adulterated spirits were common, as a guarantee that a whiskey was exactly what its label claimed.

Most Bottled-in-Bond whiskey is bourbon or rye. Applying the standard to an American single malt is the genuinely interesting part here.

Why this release matters: an old standard meets a new category

American single malt was only formally recognised as an official U.S. category in 2025, when it gained its own federal standard of identity. This release pairs one of the category’s newest labels with one of American whiskey’s oldest, and does it at 11 years, well beyond the four-year minimum the standard requires.

There is also the Colorado angle. At 11 years old and certified Bottled in Bond, it claims the title of the oldest Colorado Bottled-in-Bond whiskey released to date.

Who makes it

Stranahan’s has distilled single malt in Denver since 2004 and describes itself as the top-selling and most awarded American single malt in the country. The house style leans on 100% malted barley, new American oak, Rocky Mountain water, and the high-altitude Denver climate, which the distillery credits for faster and more pronounced wood interaction at a mile above sea level.

Head blender Justin Aden frames the release around its provenance: one grain, one distilling season, distilled, aged and bottled entirely in Denver. He puts the character down to the mile-high climate doing something to the whiskey over time that, in his words, you <q>can’t replicate anywhere else.</q>

Tasting notes (distillery)

Nose: Candied apple, baked orchard fruit, pipe tobacco, oiled leather, clove, torched sugar 
Palate: Velvety, with caramel, cracked pepper, dark chocolate, molasses, charred oak spice 
Finish: Long and silky, lingering oak, cocoa nib, earthy spearmint 
ABV: 50% (100 proof) | Age: 11 years | Cask: new American white oak, level 3 char | Price: not yet confirmed

These are the distillery’s own notes. The bottle was not open at the time of writing, so treat this as a preview rather than an independent tasting.

Price and availability

Stranahan’s has not published an official price yet. For context, the distillery’s core Original sits around $60, and its previous 11-year limited edition, the Founder’s Release, sat well above that, so a premium price for an 11-year Bottled-in-Bond limited run would be no surprise. We will update this piece once pricing is confirmed.

It releases on 1 August 2026 at the Stranahan’s Colorado Distillery in Denver and the Stranahan’s Whiskey Lodge in Aspen, for tasting and purchase while stocks last. Limited quantities reach select retailers in Colorado, California, Texas and Florida. National availability on stranahans.com is promised later in 2026. No international distribution has been confirmed, so European and other overseas buyers will most likely need a US forwarding service or a specialist importer once any secondary stock appears.

Our take

For American single malt drinkers this is one of the more interesting US releases of the year on paper: a genuinely aged single malt carrying a standard that almost no single malt carries, from the distillery that has done most to build the category. The 11-year age statement and 100-proof strength point to real oak weight rather than a young, cask-forward pour.

The catch is access. A limited four-state initial release, with no confirmed price and no confirmed international distribution, means most readers outside those states are waiting on the national online drop or the secondary market. If you are in Colorado on 1 August, it is worth going to the source. Everyone else: sign up for the national release and keep an eye on the price.

Frequently asked questions

What is Stranahan’s Bottled in Bond? It is Stranahan’s first whiskey made to the U.S. Bottled-in-Bond standard: an 11-year-old American single malt distilled in one 2015 season, aged in a federally bonded Denver warehouse, and bottled at 100 proof. It marks Colorado’s 150th and America’s 250th anniversary and releases on 1 August 2026.

What does Bottled in Bond mean? Bottled in Bond is an 1897 U.S. quality standard. To qualify, a whiskey must come from one distillery and one distilling season, mature at least four years in a federally bonded warehouse, and be bottled at exactly 100 proof (50% ABV). It was created to guarantee a whiskey’s authenticity.

How much does Stranahan’s Bottled in Bond cost? Stranahan’s has not confirmed an official price yet. As a reference, the core Original retails around $60, while its previous 11-year limited edition sold at a clear premium. Expect a premium price for this aged, limited Bottled-in-Bond run. We will update this article once pricing is announced.

Where can I buy Stranahan’s Bottled in Bond? From 1 August 2026 at the Stranahan’s Distillery in Denver and the Whiskey Lodge in Aspen, plus select retailers in Colorado, California, Texas and Florida. National online sales on stranahans.com are due later in 2026. No international distribution has been confirmed.

What does Stranahan’s Bottled in Bond taste like? The distillery lists candied apple, baked orchard fruit, pipe tobacco and oiled leather on the nose, then caramel, cracked pepper, dark chocolate and charred oak on the palate, with a long silky finish of oak, cocoa nib and earthy spearmint. These are the producer’s notes, not an independent tasting.

What is Stranahan’s known for? Stranahan’s has made American single malt in Denver since 2004 and calls itself the top-selling and most awarded American single malt in the U.S. Its style centres on 100% malted barley, new American oak, Rocky Mountain water, and mile-high maturation that speeds up wood interaction.