Press Release: Exclusive Special Bottling for the VI. Celtic Castle Festival at Thurnau Castle

St. Kilian Distillers presents smoky festival edition from a single Ripasso red wine cask

Rüdenau, November 2023

The Lower Franconian whisky distillery St. Kilian presents a very special highlight for the VI. Celtic Castle Festival at Thurnau Castle. On the occasion of the festival, co-organized by St. Kilian Ambassador Udo Sonntag, the distillery from picturesque Rüdenau near Miltenberg is presenting a smoky single malt whisky that was allowed to mature in an exclusive Ripasso red wine cask from Italy.

From November 10 to 12, 2023, the Celtic Castle Festival will celebrate the culture and tradition of the Celtic world. In addition to captivating musical performances and the finest culinary delights, high-quality whiskies provide the perfect setting for a top-class event. All the more exciting is the unveiling of St. Kilian Distillers' latest single malt whisky creation, which combines the aromas of Scotland and the craftsmanship of Franconia. At the grand "Whisky & Music-Experience," St. Kilian Master Blender Mario Rudolf will personally present the exclusive Celtic Castle Festival Edition 2023.

Made from Scottish peated malt, the Celtic Castle Edition matured for almost four years in a single, 310-liter ex-Ripasso red wine cask. This special cask was sourced from the renowned Lenotti winery in Bardolino, Italy, on Lake Garda. The single malt whisky promises a harmonious and powerful taste experience with a creamy sweet melange of fruit and vanilla, combined with warming oak spice and sweet peat smoke.

"We have a long-standing partnership and now also a deep friendship with Claudio Lenotti. The quality of the French oak casks in which his high-quality wines - especially Amarone di Valpolicella and Valpolicella Ripasso - mature is outstanding," says Mario Rudolf. "The combination of St. Kilian New Make, whether mild or smoky, with the fruity red wine notes from Lake Garda is an absolute success story and always makes us happy."

Available in limited quantities from Friday, November 10th

The Celtic Castle Edition 2023 is strictly limited. The cask-strength single malt whisky was neither colored nor chill-filtered and bottled in a total of 600 bottles with the iconic still shape. The special bottling will be available from Friday, November 10, 2023, in the St. Kilian Distillers online shop and on-site at the distillery in Rüdenau.

Tasting Notes

Appearance
Reddish amber

Aroma
An enchanting combination of sweet peat smoke, delicious strawberries, dark cherries, red grapes and subtle BBQ notes, underpinned with vanilla and juicy apricots and rounded off with ash notes.

Taste
The fruity sweetness of red grapes, juicy strawberries and ripe apricots with creamy vanilla is perfectly balanced by a simultaneously warming oak spice with black pepper and gently enveloped by sweet, ashy smoke.

Finish
The creamy sweet melange of grapes, fruit and vanilla lingers for a very long time with ashy smoke, slightly dry cocoa notes and a hint of oak spice and allspice.

Alcohol content
60.3% vol

RRP
€ 69.90 (0.5 liter)

About St. Kilian Distillers GmbH

The German whisky distillery from Rüdenau in Lower Franconia near Miltenberg am Main produces top-class whiskies and liqueurs, which have been awarded over 200 gold medals in the most renowned competitions around the globe. In addition, awards such as "World-Class Distillery", "Distillery of the Year" and "Whisky of the Year" testify 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 https://www.massvoll-geniessen.de/. Further information about the company and portfolio can be found at www.stkiliandistillers.com.

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