Normally not a Bourbon fan, too sickly sweet, but this stuff is good.
Anyone else try it?
Anyone else try it?
Wathens Kentucky Bourbon
- Thread starter Fnord5
- Start date
I tried a bottle of it when it showed up here a month or so ago . . . since I am a bourbon fan. 
Definitely enjoyed it. Nice complex balanced flavors with more vanilla than caramel, I thought. A little short on the finish as I recall, but quite good.
NANP
Definitely enjoyed it. Nice complex balanced flavors with more vanilla than caramel, I thought. A little short on the finish as I recall, but quite good.
NANP
I like Wathen's quite well.
It is a label run by Charles Medley, who until the early '90s was the master distiller for the Medley distillery of Owensboro. Seemingly every Kentucky (as well as some Pennsylvania and Mexican) bourbon has had a Beam, a Wathen or a Medley running the stillhouse at one time. The distillery was owned at times by Seagram's, United Distillers (now Diageo) and others, but it was Charles Medley running the operations throughout.
When the distillery was closed out from under him, he bought some of the inventory, some of which he sold in bulk to such labels as Buffalo Trace's Sazerac 18yo rye, and some of which he had bottled under his own Wathen's label. Since his own stocks for Wathen's have run dry, he has bought selected barrels of Heaven Hill's juice and had it bottled in San Jose, Ca.
The cool part of this story is that the Angostura company has bought and is bringing the Charles Medley distillery in Owensboro back - with Charles himself as the technical advisor. Wathen's may be filled with Charles' juice again, someday.
Roger
It is a label run by Charles Medley, who until the early '90s was the master distiller for the Medley distillery of Owensboro. Seemingly every Kentucky (as well as some Pennsylvania and Mexican) bourbon has had a Beam, a Wathen or a Medley running the stillhouse at one time. The distillery was owned at times by Seagram's, United Distillers (now Diageo) and others, but it was Charles Medley running the operations throughout.
When the distillery was closed out from under him, he bought some of the inventory, some of which he sold in bulk to such labels as Buffalo Trace's Sazerac 18yo rye, and some of which he had bottled under his own Wathen's label. Since his own stocks for Wathen's have run dry, he has bought selected barrels of Heaven Hill's juice and had it bottled in San Jose, Ca.
The cool part of this story is that the Angostura company has bought and is bringing the Charles Medley distillery in Owensboro back - with Charles himself as the technical advisor. Wathen's may be filled with Charles' juice again, someday.
Roger
Just took my first sip ever of Wathen's Single Barrel Kentucky Bourbon (94 proof). The backstory:
I got a break today as my beloved Buffalo Bills (God hates me) are being shown on local TV---a rarity in NE Florida. That means I get to stay home and watch the game. I get to save a bit of cash and can drink a bit more as well. Since I was out of bourbon, I ran out to the local liquor store to re-up. Since I'm saving $50 or so by staying home, I decided to get something new and mid-priced (as opposed to the "value" stuff I've been buying lately). I narrowed it down to two choices, Wathens and Bowman's. Both on sale for about $30. This was the last bottle of Wathen's which I don't recall ever having seen before. This one bottle has the labels (front and back) glued off-center on the bottle---as if someone was drinking the stuff when labeling the bottle. That appealed to me. I admit I was tempted by a few of the gift boxes which are now just appearing on the shelves--I'm a sucker for a gift box with glasses or a flask. But the Wathen's with the wonky label won the day. My bottle is Barell Number 736, Hand Bottled on 9/5/12.
Well I've had a few sips while writing this post, and I have to say it is quite yummy. I am very happy with today's purchase. Here's what the boozers at Bourbon Enthusiast have to say about it:
http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=69&task=displaybottling
I got a break today as my beloved Buffalo Bills (God hates me) are being shown on local TV---a rarity in NE Florida. That means I get to stay home and watch the game. I get to save a bit of cash and can drink a bit more as well. Since I was out of bourbon, I ran out to the local liquor store to re-up. Since I'm saving $50 or so by staying home, I decided to get something new and mid-priced (as opposed to the "value" stuff I've been buying lately). I narrowed it down to two choices, Wathens and Bowman's. Both on sale for about $30. This was the last bottle of Wathen's which I don't recall ever having seen before. This one bottle has the labels (front and back) glued off-center on the bottle---as if someone was drinking the stuff when labeling the bottle. That appealed to me. I admit I was tempted by a few of the gift boxes which are now just appearing on the shelves--I'm a sucker for a gift box with glasses or a flask. But the Wathen's with the wonky label won the day. My bottle is Barell Number 736, Hand Bottled on 9/5/12.
Well I've had a few sips while writing this post, and I have to say it is quite yummy. I am very happy with today's purchase. Here's what the boozers at Bourbon Enthusiast have to say about it:
http://www.bourbonenthusiast.com/forum/DBvd.php?id=69&task=displaybottling
Had it about two years ago n vacation, bought a bottle for the cottage...lovely stuff
I killed just over half the fifth yesterday while watching football. I felt fine while drinking it (and it really was lovely stuff) and felt great this morning when I woke up. For a 90+ proof bourbon it is quite mild, I think.
Q: What do the Buffalo Bills and pipe tobacco have in common?
A: They both get smoked in bowls.
A: They both get smoked in bowls.
That's a great story, Rughi. I'll have to look for that one around these parts.
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