According to the bottle’s previous label, “Johnny Drum served as a drummer boy in the year 1861 during the Confederate (Civil) War. At the end of the war, legend has it Johnny returned home to his native Kentucky, where he staked claim among a beautiful spring. Johnny learned the importance of finding a way to convert his excess corn crop into a profitable item, rather than allowing it to go to waste. As the story goes, it wasn’t long before Johnny’s determination produced an exceptional bourbon whiskey."

‍‍Owned by the Willett Distillery, the brand used to be bottled under the Johnny Drum Distilling Company name and was a sourced bourbon of undisclosed origin. The brand was once bottled in three standard forms: Johnny Drum Private Stock, Johnny Drum Black Label, and Johnny Drum Green Label. Now, Johnny Drum only comes in the Private Stock form and features Willett’s own distillate. Like other Willett made whiskeys, it forgoes the wax top of the past for a tin foil wrapper.

This is an updated review of Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon, which we originally reviewed in 2017.

The aroma is spearheaded by strong notes of caramel and red fruit. This combination is typically effective, and that is once again proven here. The scents are further backed by a strong, but not overpowering presence of seasoned oak, vanilla, and a touch of lemon. A thread of Granny Smith apple is also present and hard to shake as it weaves its way through its aroma. It's a clearcut and straightforward aroma that has just enough going on to make it memorable.

Red fruits return, with plum, cranberry, and black cherry combining to pleasant results. Leaning sweet, a slightly dry oak note is introduced, acting as an effective balancing agent. Vanilla, caramel, honey, and a touch of milk chocolate round out a surprisingly more complex palate than you might expect. With good overall balance and a sweet-but-not-too-sweet flavor profile, it results in a very satisfying midpoint for the sip.

A noticeable rise of warming spice envelopes the finish, and it’s a welcomed one. Tempered cinnamon mixed in with red apple creates what amounts to an apple pie flavor note. Dry oak is once again present, but like before, is nicely tempered and balanced. Though the finish is more simple than the palate, balance is key and it can’t be understated how well it accomplishes it.

Johnny Drum has always been something of a favorite among budding bourbon enthusiasts, gaining titles like “a hidden gem” or “one of the best kept secrets in bourbon.” It wasn’t always clear on the surface why. Some may say it's the result of Willett offering it, though it often felt like the company went out of its way to make it seem like it wasn’t. The Willett name wasn’t featured on its labeling, which resulted in a secret club of sorts that “those that know” knew it was from Willett. But at the time, like all of Willett’s portfolio of products, it wasn’t distilled by the fan-favorite distillery and was instead sourced from an undisclosed Kentucky distillery(ies).

A lot has changed for Willett over the last decade, but no more important and influential than many of their whiskeys - Johnny Drum included - once again being produced by Willett themselves. What that means for Johnny Drum is that it tastes much more distinct, and because you now know it's produced by Willett, there is a certain amount of additional intrigue associated with who is making it. Johnny Drum has always been a crowd-pleasing bourbon, but uniqueness wasn’t one of its strongest suits. Now that Willett is distilling it, there is a more distinct taste that radiates from it that enhances its overall sip. Though it still relies on traditional bourbon flavors at its core, the enhanced red fruit notes help it be more memorable in its current state.

The bourbon landscape has changed a lot over the years, but there are still a few stalwarts that are making a stand in the value category. While almost every brand has increased in price over the past decade, the major Kentucky distilleries have been much more eager to push the price of the top end of their portfolio over their standard everyday bourbons. Maker’s Mark, Buffalo Trace, Wild Turkey 101, Elijah Craig Small Batch, and Larceny, to name a few, have only marginally increased their price over the past decade. Though Willett is far smaller of an operation than many bourbon drinkers realize, they follow a similar pricing model. As anyone searching for a purple top Willett bourbon can attest to, those prices are anything but reasonable nowadays.

Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon has always been priced just a few dollars more than the aforementioned value-based bourbons from the major Kentucky distilleries. Being a small distillery that sourced their bourbon, it made sense for what it used to be priced at, but it always felt like they were trying their best to “Keep up with the Joneses.” In 2024, Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon hovers around $40 in most markets. Those who have been with the brand for some time are likely to groan about the steady rise in its price, no matter how slow it's actually been. But the big element that helps justify its current price is that it's being distilled by Willett now. Despite how recently they’ve been back at distilling in-house after a multi-decade absence, they know how to make whiskey, and you can taste it not only in this release but many of the brands across their portfolio. Given the appealing flavor profile and excellent balance found throughout its sip, the jump to $40 is still a great deal in today’s marketplace. Though it might not be the most unique-tasting bourbon on the market, I bet there are many distilleries, both big and small, that would kill to have their bourbon taste anywhere as good as Johnny Drum Private Stock Bourbon.

There’s always been something about Johnny Drum Private Stock that works. Maybe it’s the bourbon’s simple old-school paper label, its under-the-radar swagger, its Willett ownership, or the fact that no matter who is distilling it, it tends to be a flavorful, quality bourbon at a more than fair price. Although that price has increased over the years (about $10 over the past decade), and it has never reached peak consumer mindshare, it remains one of the best bourbons at the $40 price point. It also manages the tall task of being both an excellent entry level bourbon and one a diehard bourbon enthusiast can also love. The changeover to Willett distillate has proved to be beneficial for the brand, taking an already fan-favorite bourbon of respectable quality and giving it a bump in (almost) every category, resulting in a bourbon everyone should be familiar with and own.