The name of this town derives from the old english words hvaete, meaning wheat, and tun, meaning settlement or enclosure early origins of the wathen family. It covers all the most cogent points of each kings reign. He is a representative of one of the oldest and most highly respected families of marion county. Dec 17, 2014 members of the wathen family were whiskey pioneers in kentucky, but only the basics are written about them. All that philosophical babble aside, the best deals in bourbon, in my book, are the eponymous labels from each distillery.
The evidence shows that the jack daniel distillery was founded in 1866 and remained in the family of the founder until sold to brownforman distillers corporation in 1956. Wathen june 26, 1917 march 14, 2001 was an american indiana politician, journalist, and author. Where bourbon really got its name and more tips on americas native spirit michael veach is louisvilles unofficial bourbon ambassador. Mar 05, 2016 michael veachs first book is the seminal work on kentucky bourbon heritage and american whiskey in general. Ive never been a huge fan of wathens but i respect what they do. Now, nearly 75 years later, we are bringing it back. 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. Charles medley distillery is releasing another specialrelease, wathens barrel proof. A distiller himself until the 1990s, charles is the 7th generation of wathens and medleys to be in the bourbon biz.
But, if you truly want to develop a taste for fine kentucky bourbon, the innkeepers personalized private bourbon tasting with dixon at beaumont inn is the only way to go with no driving. Like many a wellaged bourbon, this book went down just fine as a slow and. Charles is the son of wathen medley, who is second from the right on the label above. But neat, this one needed another year or two before hitting the shelves. From the charles medley distillery in owensboro, ky, wathens is 8 years old with approachable floral notes complimented by a leathery, mild oak and vanilla. Given that the social history of bourbon by gerald carson was published in 1963, i thought it would be acceptable to take my time with it since nothing in there could be latebreaking news. Ive never been a huge fan of wathen s but i respect what they do. The whiskey makers, the wathenmedleys, have a bit of history with the current distillers being the. A rich tawny caramel color, this mellow premium straight bourbon whiskey is the essence of smoothness. According to gerald carson in his book, the social history of bourbon, one such. But, weird bottle the history is purposefully muddled. An american heritage is the standard by which others are most often judged. Charles medley and his son sam wathen medley carry a 250 tradition with this kentucky bourbon whiskey.
Wathens single barrel bourbon uses a standard mashbill that all of the medley bourbons. Where bourbon really got its name and more tips on america. Although bourbon is most certainly a history book, you wont even realize it. Anyway, a real page turner with lots of info about the early days. Think weve missed an essential reference book or guide. Wathen is a name that was carried to england in the great wave of migration from normandy following the norman conquest of 1066. Wathens single barrel kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is made from a mash of corn, rye and malted barley. Overall and score if i had just one word to describe this bourbon it would be fresh. The charles medley distillery is named for charles wathen medley, scion of generations of bourbonmaking in the intertwined medley and wathen families. Innkeepers personalized bourbon tasting for fans of kentucky bourbon, the bourbon distilleries are a must see. 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.
Anyone interested in french history, can use this book as a jumping off point to explore and understand how the bourbon dynasty met such an ignominious end. Few products are so completely or intimately steeped in the american story as bourbon whiskey. Here youll find all of the latest bourbon news and links to bourbon distilleries and brands, the rich history, how its made, events, blogs, retailers and great bourbon bars. Palate is heavy on the raw corn but the oak and spice help keep the grain and candy sweetness in check. Only 25 barrels of this singelbarrel bourbon will be. The spirit is the result of 225 years of family distilling experience. I had no idea just how integral booze, as a major commodity, was in the building of americas economy. Theyve been a family of master distillers going back 8 generations. This single barrel kentucky bourbon is distilled in a copper pot from a mash bill of corn, rye and malted barley, and aged 8 years in new, charred american oak barrels under the hot kentucky sun. The wathens later acquired the old grand dad label and produced that bourbon for some time. Wathens bourbon buy wine, spirits and beer online or.
Old granddad is a brand of bourbon whiskey distilled at the jim beam plant in clermont, kentucky. Wathens single barrel bourbon 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. The book, which he is best known for, titled the great sacrilege is an analysis of the new mass in terms of its morality. A history of the american spirit huckelbridge, dane on. A single barrel bourbon from wathens, produced in kentucky. Wathens single barrel kentucky bourbon whiskey buy. A new book examines everything that makes the spirit special to the united states a display of jim beam bourbons at a kentucky distillery.
While many books and hundreds of theses have since been published on this subject, father wathens book remains the classic work. Georges son married into the wathen family, who were also catholics active in kentucky whiskey. The history portion of this book is super fascinating. The nose on wathens is one of the light with slight traces of alcohol mixed. 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. Michael veachs first book is the seminal work on kentucky bourbon heritage and american whiskey in general.
According to gerald carson in his book, the social history of bourbon, one such tax collector, who had employed the services of a dozen soldiers to guard his house, had it burned to the ground nonetheless. I sort of inherited a book from my wifes grandfather the social history of bourbon by gerald carson, ed early 1960 something dont have it handy to check. He was a republican member of the indiana house of representatives between 1973 and 1990 wathen was born in jeffersonville, indiana. Whereas wathens single barrel bourbon shines on the nose, the palate is clearly under aged and overly alcoholforward on the tongue. At one point in 1791, a mob of over 5,000 men advanced on pittsburgh threatening to burn down the whole city, but they were met by town. Wathens barrel proof bourbon is adored for its caramel, pecan, apple and pie flavor notes.
In fact, they play up that fact front and center on the label of this bourbon with a big number 8, which at first glance can almost be mistaken for an age statement. Charles medley distillery releases wathens barrel proof bourbon. This new history of the bourbons is notable for being both comprehensive yet concise as it charts the rise, fall and. 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. Wathen june 26, 1917 march 14, 2001 was an american politician, journalist, and author. Wathens single barrel kentucky straight bourbon whiskey. 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. Its interesting to read about bourbon from the perspective of a time when it was not at the peak of its. A history of the american spirit by dane huckelbridge. Henry hudson wathen whose family kept the old granddad label alive in. Aug 16, 2017 wathens carries a giant number 8 on the front label, but thats not an age statement. A graduate of princeton university, he lives in paris. Beginning in the frontier through the restless entrepreneurial boon of the spirit, bourbon is responsible for many areas of law, such as trademark, breach of contract, fraud, governmental regulation and taxation, and.
Marys college of marion county and the cecilian college of. A southern independent booksellers alliance bestseller. Yes, the book focuses on bourbon, but it covers quite a bit of american history as it goes, making for an entertaining read for history lovers too. Whereas wathen s single barrel bourbon shines on the nose, the palate is clearly under aged and overly alcoholforward on the tongue. It is from charles medley and his son, sam, who have been producing wathens single barrel for about 15 years now. Early history of the wathen family this web page shows only a small excerpt of our wathen research. The distillery has a long history, involving the two families whose bourbon background intertwines back to the early 1800s. Sep 08, 2012 from marion county, kentucky biographies. 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. Bottled at 102 proof, it is the ideal addition to any classic bourbon cocktail. Hayden and named after his grandfather meredith basil hayden sr. Wathens single barrel kentucky bourbon whiskey buy online. Bourbon whiskey americas native spirit with roots dating back to the 18th century. 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.
Wathen s barrel proof bourbon is adored for its caramel, pecan, apple and pie flavor notes. Henry hudson wathen 17561851 settled seven miles south of lebanon, kentucky in 1788. The bottle says that it was distilled in kentucky, but it also says bottled by charles medley distillery, san jose, ca. Wathens carries a giant number 8 on the front label, but thats not an age statement. Members of the wathen family were whiskey pioneers in kentucky, but only the basics are written about them. The popularity of the kentucky bourbon trail r experience has grown exponentially. Taste it and we think you will agree wathens kentucky bourbon is the proudest achievement of bourbon whiskeys royal family. 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. Wathens single barrel kentucky bourbon whiskey 750 ml your bottle of wathens kentucky bourbon is a product of distilling expertise that goes back to the very beginning of bourbon whiskey charles w. 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. I wish there were more recipes and a little less time spent on breaking down allllll the distilleries, but then again i was most interested in the history part. This bourbon is carefully distilled at charles wathen medley distillery, united states. The medley family has a long storied history when it comes to bourbon distillation.
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. 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. Guests can learn from highly trained staff about different bourbons tasting notes, the distilling process, history, and what makes each special, unique, or rare. Wathen s single barrel kentucky bourbon whiskey 750 ml your bottle of wathen s kentucky bourbon is a product of distilling expertise that goes back to the very beginning of bourbon whiskey charles w. A log book with the authors tasting notes of more than 200 bourbons arranged by distillers and fully indexed by proof, price, and style. 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. Top 10 whisky education books the spirits business. He was a republican member of the indiana house of representatives between 1973 and 1990. I appreciate how they didnt shy away from some things, they just mentioned it as fact and kept the narrative rolling. The true tale of how beer conquered america, from b.
The story of wathens single barrel bourbon starts off much the same as that of the old rip van winkle distillery. Wathen, president of american medicinal spirits company, and his brother otho h. Wathens american whiskey based in owensboro, kentucky, wathens is currently run by charles w medley. Click through the follow pages to discover our pick of the top 10 whisky education books. 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. Instead it is a uncommon book about american history.
The bottle says that it was distilled in kentucky, but it also says bottled by. Wathens kentuckybourbon is a single barrel bourbon. Mike is not only the single most knowledgeable man ive ever met on the topic of bourbon, hes a genuinely nice guy. At most, some writers briefly mention the wathen family as being part of the early distilling tradition in kentucky, and some acknowledge the familys deft maneuvering to succeed during prohibition by forming the american medicinal spirits company ams, which was eventually sold.
Wathen s single barrel kentucky straight bourbon whiskey is made from a mash of corn, rye and malted barley. A guide to the nations favorite spirits, by clay risen. 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 1960s when the book was originally published. This book tracks the history of bourbon and bourbon law and uses it as the base for growth of the united states as a nation. Kentucky bourbon, tennessee whiskey, the rebirth of rye, and the distilleries of americas premier spirits region hardcover april 24, 2018.
Advertisement kentucky continues to embrace bourbons southern roots and is promoting bourbon as a historical cornerstone of the south. Apr 20, 2008 this is a wonderful but brief history of the bourbon dynasty. Wathens henry hudson wathen was known to have been operating a distillery in lebanon, ky in 1788. Wathens bourbon is refined, delicate and deep at the same time. Medley and his son samuel wathen medley continue this proud eight generation, 250 year tradition. The aroma is amazing, the fresh raw corn aroma is so crisp and unusual its alluring and fun. The charles medley distillery is named for charles wathen medley, scion of generations of bourbon making in the intertwined medley and wathen families. Bourbon kings first ruled navarre and france in the sixteenth century and by the eighteenth century members of the dynasty also held thrones in spain and southern italy in fact, the current king of spain is a bourbon monarch. A single barrel bourbon from wathen s, produced in kentucky.
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