Medley Brothers Bourbon was a classic bourbon that has been off the market for about fifty years, ever since the rights to the brand were sold by the family in 1958. Now thanks to Charles Medley and his son Sam, the family is bringing it back.
Having already resurrected two of the other family brands, Wathen’s Kentucky Bourbon – Single Barrel and Old Medley 12 Yr Bourbon, the Medley family now brining back their Medley Brother’s Bourbon with almost exactly the same label and, according to them, a very similar recipe. I was lucky enough to be at the Old Kentucky Bourbon Bar for the launch party last Thursday, tasting it in the first week it was available in Kentucky and got to talk with Sam and Charles Medley as well. It really was exciting to be able to talk a little bit about bourbon with a family that has been making it for eight generations. Charles and Sam were both gracious as well as passionate about their family business.
Unlike the Wathren’s Single Barrel and the Old Medley, this bourbon is meant less for sipping alone and more for use in craft cocktails. At 102 proof this bourbon is meant to stand up to other ingredients in a classic cocktail. While I didn’t get to try it in a mixed drink I imagine that the stronger flavor of this bourbon, especially in the cocoa and oak flavor, would lend itself well to both mixing and sipping. Medley Brother’s Bourbon retails for about $25 a bottle and is currently only available in Kentucky but should soon be available in Georgia, South Carolina, New York, Massachusetts, Illinois, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. As for Ohio, well it will probably be a bit longer before you can get a bottle without driving across the river.
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