Grave Digger – 45 Years of Metal: Exclusive Anniversary Bottling for Wacken Open Air 2025

St. Kilian Distillers Celebrates the Metal Band's 45th Anniversary in Liquid Form

Rüdenau, July 2025
For the 45th stage anniversary of the German metal legend Grave Digger, St. Kilian Distillers is launching a limited special bottling: "Grave Digger – 45 Years of Metal". A single malt whisky just like the band itself – uncompromising, loud, and full of character.

The exclusive edition is a powerful single malt, distilled from heavily peated barley malt with a rich 80 ppm phenol content – a tribute to the untamed energy of the metal icons. The whisky gets its full expressiveness from a four-year maturation in a single ex-Chianti red wine barrique cask made of French oak. The result is a multifaceted composition that will delight whisky and metal fans alike.

With "Grave Digger – 45 Years of Metal", aromatic, sweet peat smoke meets an intense fruity interplay of ripe grapes, juicy cherries, and peaches, which merges on the palate with fine vanilla, warming oak spice, and a hint of ash into a loud, complex, and harmonious overall experience. A whisky that sounds like a guitar riff at full volume. With this special bottling, the Churfränkische distillery not only celebrates 45 years of Grave Digger but also the connection between music and craftsmanship – honest, raw, and with true passion.

The Grave Digger Edition, limited to just 379 bottles, will be available exclusively at the Wacken Open Air Festival 2025 from July 30 to August 2. Sales via the St. Kilian online shop or the distillery's visitor shop in Rüdenau are not planned.

Tasting Notes

Appearance
Dark rose gold

Aroma
Aromatic, sweet peat smoke envelops an intense interplay of red grapes, juicy cherries, and peaches, supported by fine vanilla, a hint of ash, and elegant oak spice.

Taste
The fruity sweetness of ripe grapes and cherries merges with gentle peat smoke, complemented by warming oak spice, subtle vanilla, fine tannins, and delicate ash notes to create a profound taste experience.

Finish
Creamy fruit aromas combine with dry oak, fine tannins, dark bittersweet chocolate, and delicate peat smoke nuances to form a long-lasting, harmonious finish.

Alcohol content
49% vol

RRP
€ 69.90 (0.7 litres)

About St. Kilian Distillers GmbH

The German whisky distillery from Rüdenau in Lower Franconia near Miltenberg am Main produces top-class whiskies and liqueurs that have been awarded over 250 gold medals in the most prestigious competitions around the globe. In addition, awards such as "World-Class Distillery", "Distillery of the Year", and "Whisky of the Year" attest to the international top level at which the young distillery, founded in 2012 by investment banker Andreas Thümmler and producing since 2016, operates with its whiskies. St. Kilian Distillers supports the responsible consumption of alcohol, about which you can find information at www.massvoll-geniessen.de. Further information about the company and its portfolio can be found at www.stkiliandistillers.com.

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