Johnny Drum Private Stock - Sour Mash (Willett)

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 50.5% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Johnny Drum Private Stock combines two bourbon recipes with different proportions of rye. The larger share accounts for 65% of the blend and uses a mash containing 13% rye; the smaller share contains 38% rye. The result is a deliberately rye-forward Kentucky Straight Bourbon at 101 Proof, equivalent to 50.5%.

The two spirits mature separately for four to six years in new, heavily charred American oak casks. Only then are they blended. Willett bottles the bourbon without chill filtration or added colouring. Alongside apple, vanilla, caramel and oak, orange marmalade and herbal spice contribute to its character; a subtle hint of smoke appears in the finish.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: On the nose, cedarwood and orange marmalade combine with a note of wild leek. Sour apple, vanilla and oak also feature in the aroma. Subtle hints of tobacco and caramel complement the nose, alongside dark fruit notes.
• Palate: On the palate, the bourbon is dry and balanced. Mint and walnut skin shape its flavour. Fruity notes combine with vanilla and spices. Sweet caramel and vanilla also stand out clearly. They are followed by tobacco and leather, with a hint of vanilla cream.
• Finish: Cinnamon, cloves and graham crackers linger in the finish. Warming spice and the sweetness of brown sugar are accompanied by a subtle smoky nuance. The medium-length finish combines oak and vanilla in balanced proportions.

Distillery/Bottler:

Thompson Willett founded Willett Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky, in 1936. In the 1960s, he developed Johnny Drum for a partner on the American West Coast. The Kulsveen family subsequently continued the brand; today, Willett distils the bourbon itself and also handles its maturation and bottling.

For this bourbon, the distillery uses spring water from its grounds and ferments the sour mash with its own yeast in stainless steel tanks for around three to five days. Two distillation stages follow: first in a column still, then in a copper pot still. These methods are used to produce this particular bottling, as is the separate maturation of its two recipes.

Facts: