Deep in Kentucky horse country, a small father-and-son operation just knocked the socks off the entire spirits world. When the International Wine and Spirits Competition dropped its 2025 Top 50 Spirits Producers list, 15 STARS came in as the number-one craft bourbon maker in the country, third-best American producer overall, and twenty-sixth best in the world out of more than 2,300 entries. For a brand that’s only been around a few years and refuses to chase volume, that’s the kind of news that makes a man sit up and pay attention.
The IWSC doesn’t hand out rankings lightly. They look at every medal a producer has earned over the past three years, put extra weight on the most recent results, and measure consistency above everything else. In their words: “In a landscape dominated by scale and uniformity, 15 STARS remains resolutely craft-focused, producing limited whiskeys that embody Kentucky’s pioneering Spirit. Each bottle tells a story of patience, precision and purpose – a celebration of heritage and innovation in equal measure.”
That’s not marketing copy. That’s the judges talking.
Rick Johnson and his son Ricky started 15 STARS as a love letter to the Kentucky that joined the Union as the fifteenth state, back when the American flag carried fifteen stars and fifteen stripes. They liked the idea of a time when craftsmen, whether they were building rifles, forging silver, or distilling whiskey, took pride in every detail. That old-school mindset is baked into everything they do.
Most big distilleries run on autopilot, huge columns, computer-controlled stills, and a race to fill as many barrels as the warehouse will hold. The Johnsons do the opposite. They hunt down rare heirloom corn varieties most people have never heard of. They blend different mash bills the way a chef blends spices, looking for layers that surprise you on the third or fourth sip. And instead of dumping every barrel at the same proof, they use something they call “Flavour Proofing,” tasting each batch at different strengths until the whiskey tells them exactly where it wants to be bottled. Then they skip chill-filtration so nothing gets stripped out, no muted aromas, no thinned-out mouthfeel, just pure, rich bourbon the way it’s supposed to taste when you pour it neat after a long day.
The results speak for themselves. Gold medals keep stacking up, and the limited releases disappear almost as fast as they hit the shelves. You’ll find straight bourbon expressions with serious age on them, some pushing well into the teens, along with creative finishes in port pipes and rum casks that still taste like Kentucky, not like dessert. Every bottle carries the same promise: nothing rushed, nothing watered down, nothing ordinary.
Rick and Ricky say the fun is in the hunt. “There are so many possibilities, blending, barrel finishing, mash bills, proofing,” they explain. “It’s a world of flavours waiting to be explored.” That explorer’s spirit is why collectors are already chasing early 15 STARS releases the way they once chased Pappy or old Dusties.
In a hobby full of hype and flippers, it’s refreshing to see two Kentucky boys quietly outworking everybody else. They’re not trying to be the biggest. They just want to be the best, one small batch at a time. And right now, the toughest judges in the spirits world say they’re doing exactly that.
If you’ve got a spot on your shelf for something special, something that still feels like Kentucky craftsmanship instead of corporate product, keep an eye out for the bottle with fifteen stars on the label. Pour it slow, sip it neat, and raise a glass to the idea that the little guy can still come out on top when he refuses to cut corners.
Turns out the flag might have changed, but that old fifteenth-star attitude is alive and well, and it tastes better than ever.
