R. Wathen Medley

“A Family of Distilling Heritage”

Richard Nicholas “Wathen” Medley was born in Owensboro, Kentucky, into a lineage steeped in bourbon tradition. His father, Thomas Aquinas Medley, and mother, Florence Ellen Wathen, raised five sons, Wathen, Ben, Edwin, John, and Tom, each bound to a heritage of whiskey-making that stretched back to the late 1700s. For generations, the Medleys had been part of a small but influential circle of Kentucky families shaping what would become one of America’s most celebrated spirits.

Owensboro itself was no stranger to the bourbon trade. In 1873, the Daviess County Distilling Company was founded, and by the following spring, its flagship Kentucky Club whiskey was available on the market. For over four decades, Kentucky Club earned a respected place on back bars and in homes alike, until 1918, when the looming shadow of national Prohibition forced the plant, its brands, and its inventory to be sold.

When Prohibition ended in 1933, the Medley brothers seized the moment. Determined to restore their family’s standing in the industry, they bought the Daviess County Distilling Company and reopened it in Owensboro. Wathen’s deep knowledge and steady leadership quickly became the driving force behind the business. In late 1939, the brothers expanded further, purchasing the historic Green River Distillery property and relaunching it in July 1940 as the Medley Distilling Company.

The company roster reflected a family united in purpose with President & Chairman: Wathen Medley; Vice-President: George E. Medley III; Secretary: John A. Medley; Treasurer: Ben F. Medley II. Together, they built a reputation for quality, bolstered by a distinctive high-rye mash bill, rigorous production standards, and an early embrace of “bottled-in-bond” regulations, a government guarantee of authenticity and excellence.

Their bourbons came to be known through four main brands:

  • Medley Brothers Bourbon – The flagship label, proudly bearing the portraits and names of all five brothers.

  • Wathen’s Kentucky Bourbon – Later created by nephew Charles W. Medley, honoring Wathen and preserving the family’s eight-generation recipe.

  • Old Medley 12 Year – A premium bourbon celebrated for its long aging and layered complexity.

  • Five Brothers Bourbon – An affordable label paying homage to the brothers’ shared vision.

Through the mid-20th century, the Medley Distilling Company thrived. But by the late 1950s, industry tides were shifting. In 1958, the family entered negotiations with Renfield Importers Ltd. of New York. The sale closed in 1959, with ownership still in the hands of Wathen, John, and Ben at the time, though Ben had already struck out to found the Old Stanley Distilling Company in nearby Stanley, Kentucky.

Even after the sale, the Medley name remained a part of bourbon history. Wathen remained active until his retirement in 1971. Though he and his wife, Edna “Nana” Watson Medley, had no children, his influence endured through the work of his extended family, most notably his nephew Charles W. Medley, who carried on the distilling tradition.

Wathen Medley passed away on March 6, 1980. His legacy lived on in the bourbon that bore his name, and in 2013, Charles Medley revived the Medley Brothers Bourbon label, ensuring the story of the five brothers and Wathen’s leadership would remain part of Kentucky’s whiskey heritage. Today, Wathen’s Single Barrel Bourbon stands as a tribute to the patience, craftsmanship, and integrity that defined his life’s work.

From the early days of Daviess County whiskey to the rebirth of the Medley name in the 21st century, Richard Nicholas “Wathen” Medley’s journey mirrors the evolution of Kentucky bourbon itself: rooted in tradition, strengthened by resilience, and guided by an unwavering commitment to excellence.

Source:

  1. Excerpt from the “Account of the Medley Distilling Company”, June 15, 1974, by Richard Nicholas Wathen Medley: “The Daviess County Distilling Company, from 1874 to 1940, Medley Distilling Company from 1940 to 1974”, http://nielsenhayden.com/genealogy

Contributed by Todd Rust, Durham, North Carolina