Mar 05, 2016 michael veachs first book is the seminal work on kentucky bourbon heritage and american whiskey in general. Wathen s single barrel kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is a 7 yr, low rye bourbon packing spice, complexity and 250 years of bourbon making tradition into every bottle. Wathens single barrel bourbon wathen s kentucky bourbon is one of those whiskeys that is a bit hard to figure out, at least in terms of exactly where, how, and by whom it was made. But first, to set the stage, the history leading up to 1899 is important. You will never find a bottle of this magnitude again. Wathen s kentucky bourbon smelled like egg nog and was lighter and smoother on the tongue. Buy wathen s barrel proof kentucky straight bourbon whiskey caskers situated along the banks of the ohio river in owensboro, kentucky, the medley distilling company is stewarded by charles and sam medley, a fatherandson team who represent the seventh and eighth. This wathen s single barrel is a ndp bourbon with research pointing to the fact that the medley family contracts out their specific mashbill to be distilled. Today, the medley company consisting of charles and his son, sam the 8th generation are nondistilling producers who bottle various whiskeys under the names medley, wathen s, or some derivation thereof. Dec 12, 2015 wathens is a very popular everyday bourbon. But this is anything but a onenote beginner s bourbon. The libations, legends, and lore of history s oldest drink by fred minnick.
Taste it and we think you will agree wathen s kentucky bourbon is the proudest achievement of bourbon whiskey s royal family. From the charles medley distillery in owensboro, ky, wathen s is 8 years old with approachable floral notes complimented by a leathery, mild oak and vanilla. Wathens barrel proof premium bourbonsspecialty bottlings. You are bidding on an original release bottle of wathen s bourbon whiskey.
Wathens single barrel bourbon is named for the bourbonfamous wathen family with a brand that was made by charles wathen medley of the charles medley distillery of kentucky. But you obviously know a good bit about bourbon, because you dont end up here by mistake. It is one of the top 10 wineproducing states in the country, responsible for some 2 million gallons 7. The indispensable tasting guide to the world s spirit. Booker s bourbon is a rare barrelstrength bourbon, bottled uncut and unfiltered. Buy wathens single barrel kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. The story is cast with immigrants, industrialists, farmers, and hustlers, and set in fields, factories, boardrooms, and back rooms.
The father and son team produce wathen s single barrel straight kentucky bourbon and the recently released old medley. The indispensable tasting guide to the worlds spirit. But, weird bottle the history is purposefully muddled. Henry hudson wathen 17561851 settled seven miles south of lebanon, kentucky in 1788.
Wathens barrel proof kentucky straight bourbon whiskey, usa. Ive never been a huge fan of wathens but i respect what they do. Michael veach s first book is the seminal work on kentucky bourbon heritage and american whiskey in general. I found huckelbridge s book at best shallow and at worst a simple account of bourbon s past and it s relationship to the american spirit. Home to more heritage brands than any other distillery on the planet and the source for more whiskey brands than well ever know. We invented flavor spiral here at flaviar to get all your senses involved in tasting drinks and, frankly, because we think that classic tasting notes are boring. Wathen s single barrel kentucky straight bourbon ranks 48th overall in bourbon. Two years later, in 1790, he started a very small and crude distillery according to a family history published in a 1905 edition of the wine and spirit bulletin.
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our wathen research. Your bottle of wathen s kentucky bourbon is a product of distilling expertise that goes back to the very beginning of bourbon whiskey. This very short book is jampacked with information about all facets of bourbon production, from early farm distilling to nineteenth century commercial distilleries to the craft distillery movement, and everything inbetween. Flavor profile of this american whiskey typically features notes of caramel, honey, citrus and vanilla. While this will be the first release of wathen s barrel proof, the wathen s brand has been available at 94 proof in kentucky for. It is from charles medley and his son, sam, who have been producing wathens single barrel for about 15 years now. Wathens bourbon is not age dated, but is around 8 years. Yes, he s the same charles wathen medley who used to be the master distiller at glenmore. Please be sure that the recipients are available to sign for the packages. Wathens barrel proof bourbon is adored for its caramel, pecan, apple and pie flavor notes. Tasting notes, ratings, and information on wathen s single barrel kentucky straight bourbon. Kentucky is a state in the centraleastern united states with a long history of alcoho.
First released in 2017, these wathens barrel proof bourbon whiskey are highly allocated limited releases. Wathens is a brand that everyone had been telling me i needed to try. A distiller himself until the 1990s, charles is the 7th generation of wathens and medleys to be in the bourbon biz. Mike is not only the single most knowledgeable man ive ever met on the topic of bourbon, hes a genuinely nice guy. Charles is the son of wathen medley, who is second from the right on the label above. Wathens single barrel bourbon whiskey master of malt. An american heritage is the standard by which others are most often judged. Although bourbon is most certainly a history book, you wont even realize it. Bourbon whiskey america s native spirit with roots dating back to the 18th century. The whiskey makers, the wathen medleys, have a bit of history with the current distillers being the 8th generation of the family to be i.
Like many a wellaged bourbon, this book went down just fine as a slow and easy sipper. Thats because dane huckelbridge brings bourbon to life with the sort of witty, characterrich zeal amc writers might employ if they took over the history channel. Medley using the same recipe and techniques that have been handed directly and unchanged through eight generations of the wathen and medley families. Medley and his son samuel wathen medley continue this proud eight generation, 250 year tradition. He was a republican member of the indiana house of representatives between 1973 and 1990. Wathen s single barrel kentucky straight bourbon was tasted at meeting no. This single barrel bourbon clocks in at 47% abv making it extremely user friendly to mix with and just as easy to sip straight like a gentleman or. Buy wathens barrel proof kentucky straight bourbon.
Wathens single barrel kentucky straight bourbon ratings. The social history of bourbon attempts to tell the story of bourbon from its humble beginnings as unaged corn whiskey on the american frontier to its revered place in the society of the early 1960 s when the book was originally published. The whiskey makers, the wathen medleys, have a bit of history with the current distillers being the 8th generation of the family to be in the business. Several better values come to mind, including eagle rare 10 year, four roses single barrel, and elijah craig 12, to name just a few. But as their histories progress they follow divergent paths, and in spite of wathens having a clear lineage, the current source of the whiskey has become shrouded in mystery. Sister athanasius and the spirited wathens loretto community. Aug 16, 2017 wathens carries a giant number 8 on the front label, but thats not an age statement. Teachers of united states history will also find much to like about this book. The flavor spiral shows the most common flavors that youll taste in wathen s single barrel bourbon and gives you a chance to have a taste of it before actually tasting it. Wathen s single barrel bourbon is beautiful smooth and creamy. Charles medley distillers kentucky users have rated this product 3 out of 5 stars. Id like to learn about how the early industry started and how it has evolved into what it is today. Read the wathens bourbon discussion from the chowhound spirits, bourbon food community.
Wathen s single barrel kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is made from a mash of corn, rye and malted barley. All that mystery aside, there s no mystery as to the quality of the bourbon inside my wathen s bottle it is excellent. While many books and hundreds of theses have since been published on this subject, father wathens book remains the classic work. A history of the american spirit by dane huckelbridge. Some sweetness on the front followed by a nice long spicy finish that will warm you up. While no distillery is confirmed, most people assume that heaven hill is the one filling the contract. The aroma is amazing, the fresh raw corn aroma is so crisp and unusual its alluring and fun. Charles medley distillery is releasing another specialrelease, wathen s barrel proof. According to what he told us, it s a classic case of followthetwistytrailofwhoownswhat in the bourbon business. Wathen s single barrel bourbon is named for the bourbon famous wathen family with a brand that was made by charles wathen medley of the charles medley distillery of kentucky. Whereas wathens single barrel bourbon shines on the nose, the palate is clearly under aged and overly alcoholforward on the tongue. Can anyone recommend a comprehensive book or ebook that would cover this well. The charles medley distillery is named for charles wathen medley, scion of generations of bourbonmaking in the intertwined medley and wathen families.
Some love the raw grassy corn notes that dominate it and others cant stand it. Today, under the tutelage of charles and samuel medley, the distillery continues to distill bourbon using the same recipes and techniques that the previous generations of medleys perfected decades ago. Here youll find all of the latest bourbon news and links to bourbon distilleries and brands, the rich history, how it s made, events, blogs, retailers and great bourbon bars. The distillery has a long history, involving the two families whose bourbon background intertwines back to the early 1800s. Distilled in ky, under contracted time at a major distillery, this is some of the most unique, and seemingly polarizing whiskey coming out of ky. Dec 14, 2017 bourbon was born on the american frontier and came of age on madison avenueand everything about its history reflects the nation that invented it. The bottle says that it was distilled in kentucky, but it also says bottled by charles medley distillery, san jose, ca. Charles medley distillery releases wathens barrel proof. One of the locals here got a barrel and he s convinced after tasting it that it s bt. Wathen june 26, 1917 march 14, 2001 was an american politician, journalist, and author.
The whiskey makers, the wathenmedleys, have a bit of history with the current distillers being the 8th generation of the family to be in the business. It can be enjoyed in an old fashioned or just over ice with a bit of soda water. Wathens bourbon premium bourbonsspecialty bottlings. The locals here in louisville always speak highly of wathens, but it wasnt until recently that i actually bought a bottle and tried it.
Wathens original release 1998 kentucky bourbon whiskey. The book, which he is best known for, titled the great sacrilege is an analysis of the new mass in terms of its morality. The libations, legends, and lore of historys oldest drink by fred minnick. Wathens kentucky bourbon single barrel sherrylehmann. This bourbon is carefully distilled at charles wathen medley distillery, united states. Kentucky is a state in the centraleastern united states with a long history of alcohol production. Palate is heavy on the raw corn but the oak and spice help keep the grain and candy sweetness in check.
Whereas wathen s single barrel bourbon shines on the nose, the palate is clearly under aged and overly alcoholforward on the tongue. Wathens single barrel kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is made from a mash of corn, rye and malted barley. Explore thousands of wines, spirits and beers, and shop online for delivery or pickup in a store near you. Wathen s bourbon is refined, delicate and deep at the same time. Now, nearly 75 years later, we are bringing it back. This brilliantlywritten history book is written for both historians and laypeople. Mar 22, 2018 i am fascinated by history in general. Its affordable, its highly drinkable and its not hard to find. A single barrel bourbon from wathens, produced in kentucky. Veach university press of kentucky, is a masterpiece by one of the countrys top bourbon authorities that merits a prominent place in dads library. Next up in the distillery profile series is the amazing heaven hill distillery. Wathen s single barrel bourbon is a premium kentucky bourbon created by charles w.
Wathens single barrel kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. Shop wathen s single barrel bourbon at the best prices. According to medley, wathen was known to keep a special stash of bourbon on hand for guests at all times. While charles medley distilled bourbon up until the late 1900s, the medley family now sources all their bourbon. Wathen s kentucky bourbon is a premium kentucky bourbon created by charles w. Wathens american whiskey based in owensboro, kentucky, wathens is currently run by charles w medley. This bottle is considered a kentucky straight bourbon, so we know it is distilled by someone in kentucky, but the distiller is unknown. Wathens releases a charleston brown water society limited. Apparently they did private barrels for 25 stores around the country. Classic pairing here is aged gouda, itself bourbon y and vanillay. For when isabelle zarelda wathen first entered loretto on nov. Stores and prices for charles medley distillers wathen s single barr. Wathen s american whiskey based in owensboro, kentucky, wathen s is currently run by charles w medley.
Wathens kentucky bourbon is one of those whiskeys that is a bit hard to figure out, at least in terms of exactly where, how, and by whom it was made. A single barrel bourbon from wathen s, produced in kentucky. Wathen s kentuckybourbon is a single barrel bourbon. I know these numbers are hand written with an ink pin because when i poured it into a glass, some bourbon leaked down the side of the neck and smeared the ink a bit. Bookers rye is the first rye whiskey released under the bookers brand. Sep 19, 2019 born in the land of the free and the home of the brave, there is no spirit more american than bourbon. My wife linda and i had the pleasure of visiting with charlie last february. The story of wathen s single barrel bourbon starts off much the same as that of the old rip van winkle distillery. Another 121 words 9 lines of text are included under the topic early wathen history in all our pdf extended history products and printed products wherever possible. Nov, 2012 wathen s bourbon is a great bourbon with a nice little kick. Long before the advent of the term single barrel with the release of blantons in 1984, he would choose a favorite barrel to bottle and offer as his private stock, calling it wathen s kentucky bourbon.
Please note that western states transit times are usualy days. Wathen s barrel proof bourbon and wathen s single barrel bourbon. But as their histories progress they follow divergent paths, and in spite of wathen s having a clear lineage, the current source of the whiskey has become shrouded in. Wathen s is produced in charles wathen medley distillery. But as their histories progress they follow divergent paths, and in spite of wathen s having a clear lineage, the current source of the whiskey has become shrouded in mystery. Here s a quick but thorough lesson on this whiskey style. Lighter than cow milk versions, with lightly toasted nut and caramel intensity, plus crunch. Some of the most popular expressions of wathen s include.
The new wathen s barrel proof release is a nod to this family. Dec 31, 2012 old medley bourbon 12 years old, a new bourbon by charles medley distillery, who makes wathen s single barrel bourbon. Daniel yaffe explores the fascinating historyand current stateof americas signature. Wathens kentucky bourbon single barrel whiskey bourbon. Wathens eight generations single barrel kentucky straight. The charles medley distillery is named for charles wathen medley, scion of generations of bourbon making in the intertwined medley and wathen families.
There s popular history and then there s popular history. After the grains have been harvested, they are milled and mashed before being fermented with an eightgeneration old yeast strain the unique strain of medley family yeast has been inherited by each generation of medleys since the 19th century, and remains a closelyguarded family secret. The story of wathens single barrel bourbon starts off much the same as that of the old rip van winkle distillery. Only 25 barrels of this singelbarrel bourbon will be released, with proofs ranging from 109. Sam medley of charles medley distillery in owensboro, ky. But neat, this one needed another year or two before hitting the shelves. A rich tawny caramel color, this mellow premium straight bourbon whiskey is the essence of smoothness. Originally laid down in oak in 2003 by booker noe as some of the last barrels he filled before passing in 2004, it finished aging and was pulled under the guidance of his son fred noe. First released in 2017, these wathen s barrel proof bourbon whiskey are highly allocated limited releases. This wathens single barrel is a ndp bourbon with research pointing to the fact that the medley family contracts out their specific mashbill to be distilled. Untangling the twisted branches of sister athanasius s family tree is challenging at best. The medley family yeast is a zealously guarded secret handed down through eight generations. Overall and score if i had just one word to describe this bourbon it would be fresh. It ends up that wathen s single barrel is a brand now run by franklin distillers products who has offices and bottling in fairfield, ca.
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