Johnny Drum - Private Stock

Nose: This has a mildly sweet scent with hints of pears, butterscotch, cinnamon and some caramel. It has a very low-key nose. Palate: The first sip has a little punch to it from the alcohol but it fades into a nice warming in the mid-palate and then continues warming its way down the throat in a decently long finish. It has a rich flavor that is nicely on the sweet side. There’s honey, raisins, a little corn, a smidge of apple, a touch of cinnamon and then some doughiness and a tiny bit of spice, in addition to a molasses-like sweetness, in the finish. This has a little more heat to it than other 101 proofs I’ve reviewed but it isn’t burning or harsh. It definitely lets you know it is there, however it isn’t a bad thing. Comments: I like this version of Johnny Drum. It leaves an interesting sweet (on the cinnamon side) aftertaste that actually lasts a while. This allows you to wait much longer between taking sips because the taste lingers. Which, at 101 proof, is probably not a bad idea. And….it comes out the magical town of Bardstown. In this instance, it is a product of the Willett Distillery (although, some Internet sources say it is sourced….with Heaven Hill being the likely candidate). I haven’t had the regular Willett in some time but I seem to think that I might like this better, even though I do like the regular Willett. In the $30 range, I have to say that I recommend this one. It might be my bias toward Bardstown, but if you like other Willett products, you’ll probably like this. I also think you’ll like it if you like a bourbon that has a lot of competing flavors to it to try to decipher. Lastly, this used to have a 15 year age statement…long before I ever tried it….but it doesn’t any more, so it is not likely to be aged that long. I kinda wish I could try that 15 year old version…I usually am not a big fan of something that old, but the Pappy 15 is pretty good, so who knows?