Kiliani Edition 2025 – HEDAN: A Duke, a Home Malt and a Darkfield Legacy

A Franconian Single Malt Whisky for the Feast Day of the Apostle of the Franks – Matured in Palatinate Red Wine Casks, Dedicated to Duke Hedan and the Marienberg

Rüdenau, July 2025
On July 8th, the feast day of Saint Kilian, the whisky distillery St. Kilian Distillers honors an outstanding figure of early Franconian history with the Kiliani Edition 2025: Duke Hedan, son of Gosbert and Gailana, and father of the Blessed Immina. The Main Franconian ruler, who reigned around the year 700, was the founder of a monastery on Würzburg's Marienberg – the very place that later became the city's widely visible fortress.

This year's Kiliani Edition – HEDAN is a special homage to this early interplay of power, faith, and home. The bottling, limited to 900 bottles, combines the essence of Franconian identity with the character of fine red wine casks. Matured for four years in former Dunkelfelder red wine barriques from a renowned winery in the Palatinate, the Single Malt Whisky unfolds an extraordinary depth of red grapes, gentle oak spice, and malty structure.

The "Heimatmalt" (Homeland Malt) was used as the base for this edition – a regional barley malt sourced from organically grown barley by organic farmer Andreas Henn from Reichartshausen. It was malted in the traditional Franconian malt house Weyermann. This close connection to the region not only shapes the character of the whisky but also the distillery's aspiration to combine local value creation with the highest quality.

Master Blender Mario Rudolf created HEDAN, a mild (unpeated) Single Malt Whisky with 46% vol, which presents itself soft, fruity, and complex on the palate – with hints of red grapes, delicately dry tannins, dark chocolate, and fine oak spice.

Available in Limited Edition

The Kiliani Edition 2025 – HEDAN is neither colored nor chill-filtered and is bottled in the iconic 0.5-liter pot still bottle. The fruity-spicy Single Malt Whisky is limited to just 900 bottles and will be available exclusively from July 2nd (after the Scorpions Online Whisky Tasting) in the online shop, and from July 4th in the shop of the visitor distillery in Rüdenau. The recommended retail price is € 59.90.

Tasting Notes

Appearance
Amber with reddish reflections

Aroma
A lush fruit medley of ripe peaches, juicy pears, red grapes, and cherries is elegantly framed by a hint of strawberry sorbet, creamy vanilla, malty depth, and gentle oak spice.

Taste
Juicy notes of peaches, pears, cherries, and red grapes merge into a velvety taste experience of creamy sweetness, fine oak spice, and a hint of pepper, rounded off by delicately dry tannins, malty accents, and dark chocolate.

Finish
Fruity creaminess slowly transitions into an elegant dryness, carried by fine grape skin notes, soft wood tones, and warming oak spice, which lingers for a long time with a hint of cocoa.

Alcohol Content
46% vol

RRP
€ 59.90 (0.5 liters)

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 at the most renowned 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 responsible alcohol consumption, 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.

---