In the 1940’s, 50’s, and 60's, 6th generation bourbon distiller R. Wathen Medley and his brothers were operating Medley Distilling Company on the banks of the Ohio River in Owensboro in Western Kentucky. R. Wathen Medley often “cherry-picked” what he thought were the best barrels he and his brothers produced, and bottled them in his own label for use in his own house. He created a label called “Wathen’s Kentucky Bourbon” to signify how personally he believed in the barrels he was choosing for his personal use. Although Wathen's Kentucky Bourbon ceased production when R. Wathen Medley retired in the early 70's, it never left Medley family ownership. In 1996, R. Wathen Medley's son Charles and grandson Samuel re-introduced Wathen's Kentucky Bourbon, just in their hometown of Owensboro, KY. Today, Wathen's is now available in over 40 states. Samuel now personally select each barrel for Wathen's. Each bottle is hand-numbered with the barrel number from which it was bottled. Wathen's Kentucky Bourbon does not claim age; as a Single Barrel bourbon, the age of Wathen's may vary from barrel to barrel. When selecting barrels, the Medley family seeks barrels with the perfect balance of flavor and smoothness. As a rule of thumb, the Medley family finds a balance in bourbons that are 6-8 years old. 94 Proof
