Production and use of spirits.

§ 24.225 Production and use of spirits. (a) Withdrawal of spirits. The proprietor of a bonded wine premises may withdraw and receive wine spirits without payment of tax from the bonded premises of a distilled spirits plant for use as provided in this section. (b) Production and use of wine spirits —(1) In general. The only products considered to be wine spirits authorized for use in wine production under this section are brandy or wine spirits produced in a distilled spirits plant (with or without the use of water to facilitate the extraction and distillation) exclusively from: (i) Fresh or dried fruit or their residues; (ii) Natural wine or wine residues from fresh or dried fruit, including spirits byproducts of authorized wine treatments to reduce alcohol; or (iii) Special natural wine. If wine spirits produced from special natural wine contain any flavor characteristics of the special natural wine, those wine spirits may be used only in the production of a special natural wine. (2) Distillation proof requirements. The proof of wine spirits at distillation must not be reduced by the addition of water. In addition, a product is not considered to be wine spirits if it is distilled at less than 140 degrees of proof except in the following cases: (i) Commercial brandy aged in wood for a period of not less than 2 years, and barreled at not less than 100 degrees of proof, shall be deemed wine spirits for purposes of this section; and (ii) Spirits byproducts of alcohol reduction processing authorized under § 24.248 that are produced at a distilled spirits plant and distilled, if necessary, at not less than 90 degrees of proof shall be deemed wine spirits for purposes of this section. (3) Addition of sugar after fermentation. When, in the production of natural wine or special natural wine, sugar has been added after fermentation, the wine may not be refermented to develop alcohol from such added sugar and then used in the production of wine spirits. (4) Addition of wine spirits to natural wine. (i) Wine spirits produced in the United States may be added to natural wine on bonded wine premises if both the wine and the spirits are produced from the same kind of fruit. (ii) In the case of natural still wine, wine spirits may be added in any State only to wine produced by fermentation on bonded wine premises located within the same State. (iii) If wine has been ameliorated, wine spirits may be added (whether or not wine spirits were previously added) only if the wine contains not more than 14 percent of alcohol by volume derived from fermentation. (c) Spirits other than wine spirits. Spirits other than wine spirits may be received, stored, and used on bonded premises only for the production of nonbeverage wine products. [T.D. TTB–185, 87 FR 51897, Aug. 24, 2022]