Compare
Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond vs Baker’s 7 Year
Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond and Baker’s 7 Year sit on opposite sides of a familiar divide: an old-guard, classically built classic versus an old-guard, rye-forward classic.
Key Specifications
| Feature | Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond | Baker’s 7 Year |
|---|---|---|
| Type / Style | Traditional Bourbon | High-Rye Bourbon |
| Mash Bill 1 | Not disclosed | 75% corn, 13% rye, 12% malted barley |
| Age | 4 years | 7 years +3 yr |
| Proof | 100 proof (50% ABV) | 107 proof (53.5% ABV) +7 proof |
| Approx. Price 2 | ~$16 – $22 ~$44 less | ~$55 – $70 |
- Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond and Baker’s 7 Year do not publish an official mash bill.
- US shelf prices as of 2026-08; they vary widely by market.
AG’s Rating and AG’s Notes
Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Baker’s 7 Year
Not rated yetNo notes yet.
Flavor Profile
Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond Baker’s 7 Year
Axis by axis, biggest gap first
nuttiness 4/7 nuttiness: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, Baker’s 7 Year 7 out of 10
oak 5/7 oak: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Baker’s 7 Year 7 out of 10
fruit 4/5 fruit: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 4 out of 10, Baker’s 7 Year 5 out of 10
heat 5/6 heat: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Baker’s 7 Year 6 out of 10
sweetness 6/6 sweetness: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 6 out of 10, Baker’s 7 Year 6 out of 10
spice 5/5 spice: Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond 5 out of 10, Baker’s 7 Year 5 out of 10
Flavor Profile Differences
The house grain character is what splits these.
- Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond: A bonded 100-proof bourbon at a price that barely seems possible, though distribution is patchy outside Kentucky. Unremarkable in the best way: it does everything a bourbon should and nothing extra.
- Baker’s 7 Year: The gentlest of the Beam small-batch collection despite its 107 proof, thanks to an unusually creamy texture. The peanut note is present but softened, sitting under vanilla and light fruit.
Which One Should You Choose?
- Go with Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond if you want a bonded Kentucky bourbon for under twenty dollars, if you can find it in your state.
- Go with Baker’s 7 Year if you want the Beam character in its smoothest, creamiest form at a real proof point with an older age statement.
Best enjoyed neat, rocks, old-fashioned, cocktails (Very Old Barton Bottled-in-Bond); neat, rocks (Baker’s 7 Year).