Rick & Ricky Johnson
| Co-Founders of 15 STARS Fine Aged Bourbon
Rick and Ricky Johnson are the father and son co-founders of 15 STARS Fine Aged Bourbon. They are also the blenders behind each of the highly awarded 15 STARS whiskeys. The Johnson’s blending always starts with highly aged whiskeys, up to 20 years old, and then the magic begins with balancing flavors to produce the extra complexity and dimension that can come from the delicate marriage of fine aged bourbons. The final step is what the Johnsons call “flavor proofing” where with no preconceived notions of what a proof should be they look for the optimal proof to best showcase the flavors in each blend.
The Johnsons distill several unique heirloom corn based bourbons, with corns that have never been used before in bourbon. These heirloom corns exist because of their unique flavor and originate from their popcorn company, Black Jewell Popcorn. These are gourmet specialty corns that come in black, red, white, and blue where each brings a unique profile to whiskey that the family can use to bring new flavors to Kentucky bourbon.
15 STARS has received over 100 key awards and accolades since their first release in 2022, including being named “Blender of the Year” in 2023 by the John Barleycorn Awards. The father and son duo have had two of their whiskeys win “Best of Show” at the New York Work Wine and Spirits Competition and also at the LA Spirits Awards. They have won multiple “Best in Class” awards as well like “Best Bourbon” and “Best Finished Bourbon” from the World Whiskey Awards and the NYWSC. In 2023, the brand was one of four nominees to the International Wine and Spirits Competition’s “Whiskey Producer of the Year”.