Johnny Drum Black Label is the entry point to a range produced by the family-run Willett Distillery at Bardstown in the heart of Kentucky bourbon country. It is made from a mash bill of corn, rye and malted barley, and matured for a minimum of four years in new charred American oak.
The nose is surprisingly pretty for a bourbon at this price, all honeysuckle, garden mint and soft florals with a resinous pine note behind them. The palate is where the oak arrives, bringing a thick, oily caramel sweetness braced by dry timber and a good crack of black pepper.
The finish is peppery and clean, with the wood tannin keeping it from turning syrupy. A solid everyday sipper over ice, and more than enough backbone for an old fashioned or a whiskey sour.