The Willett distillery was built in 1936, a few years after the end of Prohibition by Lambert Willett, a former distiller for Max Selliger & Co. It gained success with the brands Old Bardstown and Johnny Drum, but the difficulties faced by the industry in the 1970s and its unfortunate choice to turn to ethanol production during the 1979 oil crisis led it to close in the early 1980s. The founder’s granddaughter Martha Willet and her husband Even Kulsveen bought the distillery and created Kentucky Bourbon Distillers in 1984. After bottling the distiller’s last casks, it sourced others from distilleries like Heaven Hill, and became one of the best-known bottlers in Kentucky. They also bottle the brands Willett Family Estate, Noah’s Mill and Rowan’s Creek, as well as various brands from other businesses, such as Very Olde St Nick and Black Maple Hill. The distillery eventually reopened in 2012.

Johnny Drum 15 Year Old is a bourbon produced by Kentucky Bourbon Distillers at the Willett distillery. The age statement was later abandoned.