Updated May 2026.
Barrel-proof (cask strength) is a bottling choice, not a TTB medal class. The whiskey is bottled at or near barrel strength instead of being cut to 80, 90, or 100 proof. A 1.5-ounce pour at 125 proof is 1.56 NIAAA drinks — more than one and a half 80-proof shots in the same glass. Batch proofs move. This is not a 2022 ranking or a 2026 price list.
Bonded bourbon is a different federal strip (100 proof, 4 years, one DSP). Related: barrel proof meaning, bonded bourbon, 100-proof whiskey.
Proof is the only ranking that is a number
| Pour | Proof | 1.5 oz drinks |
|---|---|---|
| House 80-proof bourbon | 80 | 1.00 |
| 90-proof flagship | 90 | 1.13 |
| Bonded | 100 | 1.25 |
| Example barrel-proof | 125 (one common band) | 1.56 |
| Widely stocked examples | Booker’s, Elijah Craig Barrel Proof, George T. Stagg when found — batch-specific, not scores | Read that neck |
Four 125-proof pours are about 6.3 drinks. NIAAA binge pattern is a health line, not a target. Allocation is real; suggested retail is not street. Pour math: whiskey drinks.
Sources
- 27 CFR 5.143 whiskey/bourbon. No TTB “barrel-proof” class. 27 CFR 5.88 is bonded, a different rule.
- Named bottles are distribution examples. Batch proofs change — read the label.
- NIAAA December 2025.