Bourbon Abbreviations and Acronyms

Bourbon & American Whiskey Acronyms Every Enthusiast Should Know

The world of bourbon and American whiskey is full of insider language, bottle codes, brand acronyms, buying/selling emojis, and tasting shorthand. If you’ve spent time in bourbon groups, whiskey forums, bottle hunts, or social media communities, you’ve probably seen confusing shorthand like BIB, BP, SB, BTAC, OWA, ISO, FT, or Hazmat. For new enthusiasts, bourbon abbreviations can feel like another language.

One of the most common and first learned acronyms is ABV, which stands for Alcohol by Volume. This tells you what percentage of the liquid is alcohol. A whiskey labeled 50% ABV is stronger than one bottled at 40% ABV. Closely related is PF, meaning Proof. In the United States, proof is simply double the ABV. So 50% ABV equals 100 proof.

Another important term is NAS, or No Age Statement. This means the distillery has not listed an age on the label. That does not automatically mean low quality. Stagg Jr is a highly sought after brand and yet it has no age statement. Many excellent whiskeys are NAS, especially when producers blend barrels for flavor rather than focusing on age.

Insider whiskey enthusiasts often use shorthand abbreviations to designate different distillery brands such as BTAC, EHTBP, ECBP, KC21, or MC20. Types or classifications of whiskey also have shorthand such as KSBW, SRW, BP, CS, FP and more.

This guide breaks down the most common bourbon and whiskey acronyms in plain English so you can understand labels, reviews, bottle discussions, and buying groups with confidence. Whether you’re a beginner learning the basics or a collector decoding rare bottle slang, this page is your complete bourbon acronym reference.

Common Whiskey Brand and Distillery Abbreviations

4R = Four Roses
4RSmBLE = Small Batch Limited Edition
AA = Ancient Age (also AAA, Ancient Ancient Age)
AB = Abraham Bowman
AE = Angel’s Envy
AECS = Angel’s Envy Cask Strength
AHH = A. H. Hirsch
B2022-01 = Booker’s + (batch date)
B25 = Booker’s 25th
B30 = Booker’s 30th
BC = Boone County
BD = Beyond Duplication (Wild Turkey)
BF = Brown Forman
BH = Barterhouse
BHC = Bourbon Heritage Collection
🐎= Blanton’s
🐎 SFTB = Blanton’s Straight From The Barrel
🐎GL = Blanton’s Gold Label
BMH = Black Maple Hill
BO = Blood Oath
BT = Buffalo Trace
BTAC = Buffalo Trace Antique Collection
BTEC = Buffalo Trace Experimental Collection
CC = Canadian Club or Caribou Crossing
CEHT = Colonel E.H. Taylor (also EHT)
CGF = Cheesy Gold Foil (Wild Turkey 12 yr)
CO = Cured Oak (EHT)
CoK = Cream of Kentucky
CYPB = Weller Craft Your Perfect Bourbon
EB = Ezra Brooks
EC = Elijah Craig
ECBP = Elijah Craig Barrel Proof
EHT = E.H. Taylor (also CEHT)
EHT BP = E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof
EHT SB = E.H. Taylor Single Barrel
EHT SmB = E.H. Taylor Small Batch
EHT SR = E.H. Taylor Straight Rye
EOM= East of Mississippi
ER = Eagle Rare
ER12 = Eagle Rare 12
ER17 = Eagle Rare 17
ET = Early Times
ETL = Elmer T. Lee
ETLC = Elmer T. Lee Commemorative bottle (2014)
EW = Evan Williams
FC = Fighting Cock
GD = George Dickel
GOTG = Grain of the Gods (EHT)
GTS = George T. Stagg
H21 = Hirsch 21; H22 = Hirsch 22, etc.
HH = Heaven Hill
HHSS = Heaven Hill Select Stock
HM10 = Henry McKenna 10 Year
HW = High West
IWH = I.W. Harper
JB = Jim Beam
JD = Jack Daniels
JD10 = Jack Daniel’s 10 Year
JD12 = Jack Daniel’s 12 Year
JD14 = Jack Daniel’s 14 Year
JD CH = Jack Daniel’s Coy Hill
JD THR = Jack Daniel’s Tanyard Hill Rye
JJB = John J. Bowman
JM = Joseph Magnus
JMCB = Joseph Magnus Cigar Blend
JPS = Jefferson’s Presidential Select
KBD = Kentucky Bourbon Distillers (aka Willett)
KC = Knob Creek
KC9 = Knob Creek 9 Year
KC12 = Knob Creek 12 Year
KC15 = Knob Creek 15 Year
KC18 = Knob Creek 18 Year
KC 21 = Knob Creek 21 Year
KO = Kentucky Owl
KoK = King of Kentucky (Brown Foreman)
Lot B = Van Winkle Special Reserve 12 yr, Lot B
M10, M20 = Michter’s 10, 20 yr single barrel
MBSB = Michter’s Barrel Strength Bourbon
MBSR = Michter’s Barrel Strength Rye
MK = Master’s Keep (Wild Turkey)
MM = Maker’s Mark
MMCA = Maker’s Mark Cellar Aged
MTBB/MTBR/MTBSM = Michter’s Toasted Barrel Bourbon/Rye/Sour Mash
MWND = Mid Winter Night’s Dram (HW)
NR = New Riff
OC = Old Charter, Old Carter (vastly different! Confirm which one)
OCPR = Old Charter Proprietor’s Reserve
OE = Old Ezra
OF = Old Fitzgerald (not Old Forester)
OFBB = Old Forester Birthday Bourbon
OFPC = Old Forester President’s Choice
OFSB100 = Old Forester Single Barrel 100 Proof
OFSBBS = Old Forester Single Barrel Barrel Strength
OGD = Old Grand Dad
OGD114 = Old Grand Dad 114 proof
OLD FITZ = Old Fitzgerald
OO = Old Overholt
OP = Old Pepper
ORVW = Old Rip Van Winkle
OS = Old Scout
OT = Old Taylor
OWA = Old Weller Antique 107
OWO = Old Weller Original
PHC = Parker’s Heritage Collection
PVW = Pappy Van Winkle
RHF = Rock Hill Farms
Ritt = Rittenhouse Rye
RR = Russell’s Reserve
RR13 = Russell’s Reserve 13 Year
RR15 = Russell’s Reserve 15 Year
RRR = Russell’s Reserve Rye
RRSR = Russell’s Reserve Single Rickhouse
RY = Rebel Yell
SA = Smooth Ambler
SAOS = Smooth Ambler Old Scout
Saz = Sazerac, usually Sazerac 18 from the BTAC
SFTB = Straight From The Barrel (Blanton’s)
SJR = Stagg JR
SOP = Single Oak Project (Buffalo Trace)
SW = Smoke Wagon
THH = Thomas H. Handy
VOB = Very Old Barton
VOF / VXOF / VVOF = Very Old, Very Xtra Old, Very Very Old Fitzgerald
VOSN = Very Olde St Nick
VSOF = Very Special Old Fitzgerald
VWFRR = Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye
W12 = Weller 12 yr
W107 = Weller Antique 107
W19 = Weller 19, from the early BTAC
WFE = Willett Family Estate
WFP = Weller Full Proof
WJ = Widow Jane
WLW = William Larue Weller
WOM = West of Mississippi
WR = Woodford Reserve
WSiB = Weller Single Barrel
WSR = Weller Special Reserve
WT = Wild Turkey
WTAS = Wild Turkey American Spirit
WTKS = Wild Turkey Kentucky Spirit
WTMK = Wild Turkey Master’s Keep
WTR = Wild Turkey Rye
WTRB = Wild Turkey Rare Breed

FOUR ROSES (4R) MASHBILLS

OBSF = 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast F
OBSK = 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast K
OBSO = 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast O
OBSQ = 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast Q
OBSV = 60% Corn, 35% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast V
OESF = 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast F
OESK = 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast K
OESO = 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast O
OESQ = 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast Q
OESV = 75% Corn, 20% Rye, 5% Malted Barley, Yeast V

Bourbon Terms and Acronyms Everyone Should Know

4G = Four Grain
ABV = Alcohol by Volume
AS = Age Stated
BIB = Bottled in Bond
BOM = Blend of Mashbills
BP = Barrel Proof
CS = Cask Strength
FP = Full Proof
GNS = Grain Neutral Spirits
Hazmat = Over 140 proof
KSBW = Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
KSRW = Kentucky Straight Rye Whiskey
LE = Limited Edition
NAS = No Age Statement
NCF = Non-Chill Filtered
NDP = Non-Distiller Producer (rectifier)
PB = Private Barrel (same as Store Pick)
Pf = Proof
SAW = Straight American Whiskey
SBW = Straight Bourbon Whiskey
SRW = Straight Rye Whiskey
SiB / SB = Single Barrel
SmB = Small Batch
SP = Store Pick (same as Private Barrel)
U/U = Unfiltered, Uncut
YO = Years Old (i.e. 10YO)

Secondary Market and Trading Acronyms

4U = For Your (What is being sold/traded)
4me = What the Seller wants
BIN = Buy It Now (you are agreeing to purchase or trade)
CONUS = Continental US (Shipping)
FS = For Sale
FT = For Trade
IP = City/Cities the trade can take place in if in person
ISO = In Search Of
No Doll Hairs = No Dollar Signs ($)
OBO = Or Best Offer
X-post = Cross-posted in Multiple Groups
XP = Cross-posted in Multiple Groups

Bourbon Secondary Market Trading Emojis

Trading emojis are used extensively on bourbon and whiskey trading platforms including Facebook and Discord. They make reading a post quick and simple (once you know the lingo!). But they are also used to avoid unwanted scrutiny or censure.

If you are in a trading group, be sure to read the rules before you enter into any trades because it is easy to get banned from the group for breaking the rules.

Disclaimer: This page is not an endorsement or recommendation to participate in whiskey trading. It is informational only. Be sure to know the laws in your state before participating.

♻️ (Recycle) = Trade
🦌 (Deer) = Dough/Cash/Money
✅ (Checkmark) = Sold or Done
📦 (Package) = Shipping included
🚚 (Truck) = Shipping included
🚢 (Ship) = Shipping included
🚢 to your🚪= Ship to your Door
⛵ (Sailboat) = For Sale
🏇 (Horse/Jockey) = Blanton’s
🐎🟡(Horse + Gold Color) = Blanton’s Gold
🥔 (Potato) = “Tater” bottle (highly allocated, overhyped bottle)
🦆 (Rubber Duck) = Sometimes used to represent Pappy Van Winkle
🎄 (Christmas Tree) = Sometimes used to represent Weller 12 Year
🦅 (Eagle) = Eagle Rare
🌹 (Rose) = Four Roses
💰 (Bag of Money or Gold) = For sale / cash deal
👀 (Eyes) = Looking for / In Search Of
💣🍔 (Bomb + Hamburger) = Bomberger’s
📓 (Book) = Booker’s
🥾 (Boot) = Kicker (i.e. plus something else)
👂 (Ear) = Listen to Offers
🍐 (Pear) = Offered as a Pair
🦃 (Turkey) = Wild Turkey
☣️ or ☢️ = Hazmat (140 proof or higher)
Lot 🐝(Bee) = Van Winkle 12 Year Lot “B”

How to Read Bourbon Discussions Online

Example post number 1:

ISO OWA or EHT BP12
FT ECBP C925 SP

Example post number 2:

👀 OWA or EHT BP12
♻️ ECBP C925 SP

Translation for both is the same:

• Looking for Old Weller Antique or E.H. Taylor Barrel Proof batch 12
• For trade: Elijah Craig Barrel Proof batch C925 Store Pick

Once you know the abbreviations, online bourbon groups become much easier to understand.

Bourbon Slang Explained

Tater

A slang term for hype-driven buyers who chase bottles mainly because they are popular, allocated, or profitable.

Unicorn

A bottle that is extremely rare or difficult to find.

Shelf Turd

A bottle that sits on shelves because demand is low.

Neck Pour

The first pour from a newly opened bottle. There is debate about the neck pour being not as good as below the neck.

Fresh Crack

Opening a sealed bottle for the first time. Similar to neck pour, a fresh crack may not be as good as the 2nd or 3rd pour. This is highly debated.

Honey Barrel

An exceptionally good barrel selected from a larger group.

Drain Pour

A whiskey someone dislikes enough to dump out.

Hazmat

A whiskey bottled above 140 proof. The term comes from shipping regulations (you cannot carry it on a plane.)

Backup Bottle or Bunker Bottle

It’s so good that an extra bottle is purchased to save for later.

Museum Pour

An overpriced pour sold at a bar or restaurant.

Museum Bottle

A significantly overpriced bottle sold at a liquor store. It will probably sit on the shelf for a long time.

Closing Thoughts

Bourbon culture has its own language, but once you learn the common abbreviations and slang, labels and online discussions make much more sense. Bookmark this page as your go-to bourbon glossary and reference guide.

Whether you’re buying your first bottle, chasing allocated releases, or comparing tasting notes with friends, understanding the language helps you enjoy the hobby even more.