Fruit cocktail cherries | Aged oak | Caramel | Brown sugar | Dash of cinnamon | Classic scents

Aged oak | Red Hots candy | Baking spices | Dash of dried apple | Mature flavors

Cinnamon stick | Muted brown sugar | Slight spice | Dash of aged dry oak | Faint spiced raisins | Lingering heat

15 Stars was started by father and son team Rick and Ricky Johnson, who bottle their whiskeys at Bardstown Bourbon Co. in Bardstown, Kentucky. Their whiskeys began hitting the market in 2022, and so far have been relatively high-aged sourced whiskeys originating from an undisclosed distillery or multiple distilleries in Kentucky. The name “15 Stars'' originates from the fact that Kentucky was recognized as the 15th state on the second United States flag which included 15 stars and 15 stripes. This history is called upon in various ways within the company’s marketing, including details such as the bottle stoppers, which are metal and resemble the first U.S. coinage containing 15 stars, engraved by the American artisan Robert Scot. 15 Stars 8 & 15 Year Private Stock Bourbon is a follow-up to the company’s 7 & 15 year Private Stock Bourbon, which was released in late 2022.

The prior release sticls to classic bourbon notes, and the brand has stuck with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” adage, as classic bourbon notes dominate from start to finish. What’s nice about the sip is the subtle yet perfect amount of various fruit components that are woven in throughout, starting with fruit cocktail cherries on the nose and ending with faint spiced raisin on the finish. The age of the whiskey shows itself with noticeable dry oak being present throughout, but it’s counterbalanced by brown sugar and a pleasing cinnamon note. Overall, this is another nice showing by 15 Stars, who is really showing their ability to source and blend whiskey with the best of them.