Nuremberg Airport Tasting – all duty-free!

A Tasting with Menu and Whiskies from Duty-Free at Albrecht Dürer Airport

By Bernhard Rems, Managing Director Whiskyexperts www.whiskyexperts.net

Nuremberg, April 2023

After a pandemic-induced break, an airport tasting finally took place again at Albrecht Dürer Airport Nuremberg on April 23, 2023, after having only been held online previously. What was special about this tasting: all whiskies presented in the tasting came from duty-free and can officially only be purchased there.

This time, there were officially six participating whiskies served with a 3-course meal, and for the more than 120 guests, there was also a seventh whisky served after the official part. And: St. Kilian, as number eight, was also represented as a "local hero" so to speak – Andreas Kreser, who came specially from Limburg to Nuremberg, served whiskies and liqueurs from Germany's largest whisky distillery in Rüdenau at a stand.

The whisky-interested guests gathered in the late afternoon in the hall of the Mövenpick restaurant at the airport, with a wonderful view of the apron and runway.

After the welcome by Christian Albrecht, head of press & public relations at the airport, Michael Gradl, a veteran whisky expert from Nuremberg, moderated the evening of culinary delights and whisky enjoyment.

The following whiskies were tasted:

• The Kurayoshi 8yo Pure Malt Whisky
• Talisker Surge
• Caperdonich 18yo peated
• Macallan Terra
• Dalmore The Quartet
• Ardbeg Smoketrails
• St. Kilian Signature Edition THIRTEEN

The tasting concluded with the St. Kilian Signature Edition THIRTEEN, which showed that powerful aromas can be achieved with combined full maturation in different types of wood. Casks made of Palatinate and Hungarian oak, black locust (false acacia), chestnut and cherry were used – the distillate was obtained from peated barley (54ppm). Nevertheless, the THIRTEEN is not a smoke bomb; the aromas are clearly at the forefront, and the over 53% vol alcohol content also contributes to making the St. Kilian Signature Edition THIRTEEN a pleasure that received much approval this evening.

But the enjoyment didn't end with the official part – in the foyer afterwards, there was still the Big Peat Duty Free Edition to taste, a typical Big Peat with a smoky and coal-like focus and a strong Bourbon cask influence. And at St. Kilian, one could also re-taste one or two other bottlings.

The evening was unanimously seen as a great success, and plans are being made to repeat the event in autumn, provided there are enough new bottlings available.

Whiskies that cannot otherwise be tasted in such concentration in one place, a unique location, good food and good entertainment – with this combination, the follow-up events should also have no problem selling out quickly again.