Bulleit Bourbon's bottle design is a calculated blend of family history and expert branding, designed to look like a vintage artifact from the 1800s. While you may spot the "orange label" Bulleit as a staple on HBO's "Deadwood" series, the original bottle looked nothing like it does today.. 

The original packaging focused on Kentucky’s horse racing heritage rather than the "Frontier" theme. It used a squat, square-shaped bottle similar to those used by Buffalo Trace for brands like Elmer T. Lee due to its' open mold. But before that, yes before that existed a truly-original bottle. 

The Transition to "Frontier Whiskey" (1999)

The iconic look was developed after Seagram acquired the brand in the late 1990s. Seeking to create a new "Frontier Whiskey" identity, they hired Sandstrom Partners to overhaul the packaging.

The Famous Crooked Label

One of the most recognizable features of the Bulleit bottle is the label, which is intentionally applied at a slight angle. 

• "Hand-Applied" Aesthetic: The label is askew to give the impression it was applied by hand in a frontier distillery.

• Practical History: According to brand lore, 1850s labels were often larger than the bottles and applied at an angle so the name could be read more clearly from across a bar.