Charles Medley Distillery
Overview of the Distillery
Charles Medley Distillery is a family-owned bourbon brand with deep roots in the Wathen-Medley family history in Kentucky. The brand is led today by Sam Medley and his father Charles and produces Kentucky Straight Bourbon according to an unchanged mash bill characterized by high corn, high-malted barley, and low rye. Distillation takes place at an undisclosed contract facility, while the family maintains close, hands-on oversight of the entire production chain.
History
The family has been distilling bourbon for eight generations, with activities dating back more than a hundred years. After Prohibition, Thomas Aquinas Medley resumed production in 1933 by releasing very young spirits — first a 30-day, later a 60-day — until the stock was mature enough for older bourbons. Upon his death in 1940, R. Wathen Medley took over operations and involved his brothers in the business; he is credited with the idea of selecting special barrels for single-barrel releases, a practice the family later honored with Wathen's Single Barrel. Today, Sam and Charles Medley continue the family's recipe and oversight of production, even though the distillation itself is carried out under contract by a third party.
Raw Materials and Production
The whiskey is based on a traditional mash bill described as high in corn, high in malted barley, and low in rye, a recipe the family says is unchanged from the original. The distillation is performed at an undisclosed contract facility; Sam and Charles Medley oversee all steps from sourcing grain, mashing and fermentation to the distillation itself and the subsequent aging. The products are classified as Kentucky Straight Bourbon, and the family's role is both preservation-focused and quality-oriented with respect to traditional methods.
Aging and Cask Types
During the rebuilding period after Prohibition, very young spirits were sold as 30- and 60-day editions, until the stock was large enough to offer older bourbons. Today, the stock is built up and aged so that the products can be marketed as Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The specific cask types, treatments, and aging times are not specified on the product page.
Whiskies
The lineup includes several bourbons under the Medley and Wathen names, including Medley Brothers 102 Proof, Wathen's Single Barrel, and Wathen's Barrel Proof. The products are presented as classic Kentucky bourbons, built on the family's unchanged mash bill. Wathen's Single Barrel is explicitly associated with the family's tradition of selecting special barrels for single-barrel bottlings.
| Whisky | Type / Series | Flavor profile |
|---|---|---|
| Medley Brothers 102 Proof | Bourbon | Name listed on the producer's product page as a bourbon in the lineup: Medley Brothers 102 Proof. |
| Wathen's Single Barrel | Bourbon | Listed as part of the family's product line; Wathen's Single Barrel was created as a tribute to R. Wathen Medley's practice of selecting special barrels for single-barrel releases. |
| Wathen's Barrel Proof | Bourbon | Listed on the producer's product page as a bourbon edition under the Wathen name: Wathen's Barrel Proof. |
Philosophy and Craft
The family emphasizes continuity, preservation of a historic recipe, and direct family oversight as core values. Sam and Charles Medley prioritize preserving the original recipe and controlling every step of the production, even when the distillation itself is performed by an external contract distiller.