Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon

4/8/17 Keystone Liquors, Bardstown, KY $31.79 = 29.99 + 1.80

Sweet and awesome. - tried the next day and was still good but not quite as sweet as I remembered. Could be a good available sipper.

Nose - Vanilla/cinnamon caramels, light sort of stale peanut brittle, salted peanut shells. Taste - Spicy cinnamon/vanilla caramel, light black pepper kick, hint of salted peanuts, lightly drying oak, tiny hint of Luxardo cherry sweetness at the end. Finish - Lingering but muted cinnamon spice, sweet Spanish peanut sweetness that fades fairly quicky that only leaves this dry oaky, light heat. Score - 81/100 Final Thoughts - If I tasted this blind, I probably would've pegged it as a Beam product due to the peanut "Beam funk." It's a very easy sipping bourbon for the proof for sure, which I guess is a result of the charcoal filtering. The balance of caramel and peanut funk is a bit weird to me in that it works up until the finish where the peanut funk turns to be a bit too much like stale peanuts. This might be something I turn into something like a peanut butter cup old fashioned by using some chocolate bitters in place of Angostura.

Peanut brittle and vanilla on the nose. A bit sharp on the front end, with a very light mouthfeel. Almost seems like cotton candy with a barely there feel. It's not cloying like cotton candy, but it's sweet. Hints of nuts, caramel, and some wood spice. The spiciness lingers, along with some bitter chocolate, bitter walnuts. This is a great pour, and a steal at $30. 3/29/17 The 15-year (!!!). What. A. Nose. Deep caramel, cinnamon, graham cracker. Fantastic nose. Smooth for the proof. A strange herbal element on the palate. Finishes with leather. Palate doesn't follow the nose, unfortunately, but this is going to have fans. 2 out of 5. 5/9/18

I don't know what this tastes like, but it doesn't taste like bourbon. It's bourbon-ish. I'm wondering if this year's release is vastly different? If Willett is finally using some of their own distillate instead of strictly sourcing? That being said, I really liked it! My ABC Store emailed that they had received some limited items and this one, at $33 was the most affordable, so I bit. Tried neat in a glenncairn, the nose is unique. Dry and Dusty. Musty orange, backed by dried spices and a light note of apple pipe tobacco. There was a mystery note that I couldn't place until I read another recent review that called it cedar. BINGO. Neat it enters with musty orange followed by very dry astringent oak. There is a light sweetness here, but it's in no way the traditional vanilla, caramel or toffee. A long drying finish with the musty citrus lingering. A tick on the hot side reminding you it's 101 proof. A splash had little effect on the nose and added cinnamon and chocolate to the palate, taming the astringency a great deal. Though my Scotch experience is limited, with a splash it reminded me of a good inexpensive blend, ala Monkey Shoulder. The nose on the empty glass smells of cinnamon bark. This pairs very well with a cigar. There is so much going on here, I've waited until I'm about a 1/3 of the way through the bottle to review, just to be sure. This is not one I'd seek out. but I'll definitely pick it up when I see it. Very different.

Heeeeeeeeeere's Johnny! This reasonably priced bourbon is hard to find so when you see it, grab it. Rich caramel on the nose and a fruity burst on the tongue. Maybe apple or pear or peach? Which in all combinations makes it like a liquid gold version of apple pie. How American is that? It should be because Murica=Bourbon. So those blended Johnnys can "Walker" themselves out of the room. I'm drinking to the beat of the DRUM! Ba yum tss!