The Father-Son Duo Behind 15 Stars

While Rick and Ricky Johnson knew the ins and outs of their own family business when they launched 15 Stars in 2019—the Johnson family has owned Black Jewel Popcorn since 2011, and operated a number of other businesses under the Johnson Ventures umbrella—the father-son duo was less familiar with whiskey. Rick counted himself an occasional bourbon drinker, and Ricky was freshly 21, only aware of whiskey to the degree that his father was. That soon changed, however, when Rick approached his son, then a college student, with a proposal for a summer project: Why not distill the corn they used for Black Jewell and make some whiskey? “In the beginning, that was really what it was supposed to be—a cool project,” says Ricky. “I was a business student; it was going to be a great learning experience. But at the end of the summer, it turns out my business plan was compelling enough that we wanted to move forward with it.” And with that, 15 Stars was off to the races.

Formulating a business plan had Rick and Ricky in conversation with various whiskey makers throughout the summer of 2019, among them Dan Callaway of Bardstown Bourbon Co. When the Johnsons decided to make their plan a reality, Bardstown was their first choice for contract distillation, as the distillery would afford them complete control over their whiskey—a necessary condition, given that they wanted to distill heirloom corn varietals and have the flexibility to explore various finishes. At the same time, they also searched for sourced whiskeys; finding barrel brokers proved challenging in the beginning, but they eventually assembled an abundant stock of aging whiskey, including many ultra-aged barrels.

From these sourced barrels came their first prototype blends, which they created almost entirely on their own, despite having no blending experience. “In the beginning, we had some guidance from industry veterans, but what we were really doing was blending whiskey together, by ourselves, and then taking it to various people in the industry, because we didn’t yet have the confidence [in what we were doing],” explains Rick. He remembers taking one of their early blends to a well-known whiskey maker, “He took a swig and said, ‘Home run,’ he says.” “Instances like that gave us the confidence to act.”

The 15 Stars Whiskey Evolution

The first 15 Stars whiskey, Timeless Reserve 14 bourbon, came out in 2022, and put the Johnsons’ ultra-aged sourced stock front and center, with a 14-year age statement on the label and 15 year old liquid included in the blend. Their blending prowess was also on full display. “That very first whiskey, we had a 15 year old bourbon that we wanted to do on its own—15 Stars, 15 year old bourbon,” says Rick. “But it wasn’t the best whiskey on its own. We refined it with a 14 year old, and that blend is pure magic.” (A reimagined 13 year old Timeless Reserve was introduced later on, in 2024.)

Ricky leads the blending—Rick says his son’s palate is outstanding, leaving him to play a more supporting role. They benefit from what Ricky refers to as a “shared flavor memory.” “Our bourbon journey has been together, and we’ve developed our palates together over the years, and that’s given us a similar perspective on blending,” he explains. “We’re not fighting over the big picture with our blends; we might have slightly different points of view when it gets down to the nitty-gritty, but overall, we have a very easy collaboration in the blending process and what we want the final product to be.”

Rick and Ricky continued launching limited release blends made from various sourced barrels. All the while, the custom distillation project at Bardstown Bourbon Co. remained underway; the first fruits of their distilling labors finally came to light in August 2025, in the form of First West, a permanent offshoot of 15 Stars that includes portions of their own-make whiskey in its blends, and is more approachably priced than its 15 Stars counterpart (the 15 Stars lineup ranges from $139-$279, whereas First West whiskeys are $60-$80). First West debuted with three whiskeys, two of which—Small Batch and Toasted Oak—included own-make distilled from heirloom red, white, and blue corn. The third release of First West, Extra Aged, will include own-make distillate down the road.

These days, the Johnsons are distilling over a dozen mashbills each year at Bardstown Bourbon, working with seven distinct heirloom corn bourbon mashbills, as well as a handful that use non-heirloom grains. Ryes and blended American whiskeys have since joined the bourbon lineup, though straight bourbon blends remain the focus. Their ultimate goal is to have enough aging whiskey that they no longer need to source, and that goal isn’t so far out of reach: as of now, own-make whiskey accounts for about two-thirds of their inventory. Coming later this year is something the Johnsons are particularly excited about—a blend made with their proprietary black corn. “It makes a sweeter bourbon that’s buttery and caramel-heavy, with a little peppermint note to it,” Ricky says of the black corn, noting that it’s also laden with a rich viscosity. The duo is unsure if they will release a black corn bourbon on its own, but as a blending component, they both agree it adds beguiling depth and richness to a whiskey.

Also up ahead for 15 Stars is a brand home, which will draw focus back to its founding mission: to pay tribute to Kentucky’s distilling history. “We need a tasting room, and we’re into Kentucky’s bourbon heritage, so we’d like to put together a museum of early Kentucky craftsmanship,” says Rick. “We’ll have a small distilling component as well, but it’ll stay small—we’re able to do everything we would do if we were doing it ourselves at Bardstown as it is.”

A history buff, Rick has accumulated quite a collection of Kentucky antiques, ranging from furniture to old Kentucky rifles to silver items, all of which will make their way into the forthcoming 15 Stars museum. “That Kentucky heritage and craftsmanship inspired us, and still does—it harkens back to a time where somebody made something by hand, and put themselves into it, just like Ricky and I do every time we make a new bottle of whiskey,” he says. While they’re still narrowing down a space, which will be in either Bardstown or Louisville, the Johnsons expect they’ll have something up and running later this year, coinciding with various new releases now in the hopper—among them the oldest blend they’ve ever released.

15 Stars Bourbons to Try

15 Stars sells all of its whiskeys on its website; they’re available for shipping nationwide.

93 points - 15 Stars 12 year old Artisan Collection Blend of Straights (Batch 001), 54.5%, $179
A blend of bourbons from Indiana and Kentucky aged 15 and 12 years that’s awash with dried herbs, red berries, jammy blackberry, apples, vanilla, caramel, baking spice, and dark chocolate

93 points - 15 Stars 8 & 15 year old Private Stock Blend of Straight Bourbons, 53.5%, $139
A balanced blend of 8 and 15 year old Kentucky bourbons redolent with mint, dark chocolate, raisins, dried apricots, candied pecans, and dusty oak

93 points - 15 Stars Triple Cask Cognac, Port, and Rum Cask Finished (Batch 001), 52.5%, $179
A marriage of 8 and 16 year old bourbons that’s packed with notes of raspberry, crème brûlée, cinnamon roll, earthy leather, gingerbread, dark chocolate, and syrupy dark fruits

92 points - 15 Stars 13 year old Timeless Reserve, 51.5%, $279
This blend of 13 and 15 year old Kentucky bourbons has abundant classic bourbon flavors: caramel, honey, vanilla, red berries, oak spice, cocoa powder, and salted peanuts abound

92 points - First West Small Batch Straight Bourbon, 51%, $60
Comprised of 5, 6, and 7 year olds, including 15 Star’s proprietary bourbon made using red, white, and blue corn. It’s herbaceous, but sweetened by cinnamon-sprinkled jelly doughnuts, vanilla custard, and powdered sugar

92 points - First West Toasted Oak Barrel Finished Straight Bourbon, 49%, $70
This blend of 5, 6, and 7 year old bourbons was finished in toasted oak with two different toast profiles. Parsley, thyme, strawberry jam, ripe banana, chocolate, pepper, barrel char