Willett Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon Whiskey
Willett Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon Whiskey is a 750mL Kentucky straight bourbon bottled at 101 proof (50.5% ABV) by Willett Distillery in Bardstown, Kentucky. Private Stock is the top label of the Johnny Drum family — a small batch blend of two Willett mash bills, 72% corn, 13% rye and 15% malted barley at 65% of the blend and a higher-rye 52% corn, 38% rye and 10% malted barley at 35%, each aged separately in new charred American oak. It carries no age statement, and it is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor.
- ABV: 50.5% (101 proof)
- Size: 750mL
- Mash bills: 72/13/15 corn/rye/malted barley (65% of blend) + 52/38/10 (35% of blend)
- Age: No age statement — mash bills aged separately before blending
- Filtration: Non-chill filtered (per importer specification)
- Distillery: Willett Distillery, Bardstown, Kentucky
- Origin: Kentucky, USA
The Drummer Boy at Full Strength
Johnny Drum was developed by Thompson Willett in the 1960s and named, in the brand's telling, for a Civil War drummer boy; the Kulsveen family later revived it with its retro presentation intact. Private Stock is the line's flagship — the 101-proof bottling, blended in the opposite proportions to Pure Kentucky XO, so the high-rye mash bill plays a larger role. Per Willett's official sheet it is distilled, aged and bottled by Willett Distillery. Browse the family's bottlings on the Willett vendor page, or explore our bourbon whiskey collection.
Tasting Notes
From Willett's press materials (notes by Bill Thomas of Jack Rose Dining Saloon): sour apple, vanilla and oak on the nose; a rolling mix of fruit, vanilla and spice on the palate, balanced and complex.
How to Enjoy
Pour it neat and let the high-rye share show its spice, or use its 101 proof as the backbone of a Boulevardier. More Willett small batches are in our bourbon whiskey collection.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Johnny Drum Private Stock?
The top, 101-proof label of Willett's Johnny Drum family — a small batch Kentucky straight bourbon blended from two of the distillery's mash bills.
How old is Johnny Drum Private Stock?
Current bottlings carry no age statement; Willett's importer describes the component mash bills as aged separately for roughly four to six years. A 15-year statement appeared on much older bottlings and no longer applies.
Is Johnny Drum cask strength?
No — it is bottled at a fixed 101 proof (50.5% ABV), despite occasional retailer claims to the contrary.
The drummer boy, turned up to 101 — order Johnny Drum Private Stock online from Del Mesa Liquor in San Diego, CA.
