According to the bottle's 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. Today, Johnny Drum is bottled in three forms (though only two are reflected on Willett's website as of this writing) - Johnny Drum Private Stock, Johnny Drum Black Label, and Johnny Drum Green Label (not reflected). Owned by Willett, but bottled under the Johnny Drum Distilling Company name, it is a sourced bourbon of undisclosed origin.

Belle Meade Reserve is the premium expression of the multi-award-winning Belle Meade Bourbon, crafted to meet the growing demand among aficionados for elite, high-proof bourbon. Our distillers identify certain superior barrels from the Belle Meade inventory and combine them into separate batches that yield a richer, more robust, higher-proof bourbon that compounds and enhances the character, flavor, and feel of its source. This painstaking process ensures that each small batch of Belle Meade Reserve will be utterly singular, and singularly pleasing. Belle Meade Reserve is a bold, high-rye-content bourbon ideal for those who appreciate the finer points of the distiller's art, but equally accessible to anyone who enjoys the taste of whiskey straight from the barrel. Its strong, supple flavor distinguishes every glass—whether you serve it neat, on the rocks, or with a splash of water. And where other bourbons might recede when combined with mixers, Belle Meade Reserve's high bottling proof and mouthwatering flavor ensure that it will enliven any cocktail.