St. Kilian Distillers presents the first single malt whisky with full maturation in a virgin Mizunara oak cask outside Japan and introduces two more heavy metal bottlings in cooperation with Judas Priest
Rüdenau, May 2023
St. Kilian Distillers is launching an exclusive whisky rarity: a single malt whisky matured entirely in a single, fresh Mizunara oak cask. Mizunara oak, common in various regions of Japan, is one of the rarest and most expensive woods used for whisky maturation. The wood for this 225-liter, lightly toasted single cask was approximately 250 years old. It originated from the forests of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido and was carefully crafted by experienced coopers. Mizunara oak is known for its unique aromas of sandalwood, oriental spices, and exotic fruits, which give the whisky a distinctive character.
This masterpiece of whisky craftsmanship reflects the perfect synergy of Japanese finesse and German distillation artistry, promising an unparalleled taste and an exquisite indulgence for discerning connoisseurs. “We are very proud to present this exclusive whisky rarity from Mizunara oak,” says managing director Philipp Trützler with delight. “According to our research, it is the first non-Japanese single malt whisky to be fully matured in a single, fresh, unused Mizunara oak cask. A true treasure for whisky lovers and collectors alike.” The result is a unique taste of ripe fruits and exotic melon paired with warming oak notes, oriental spices, and fragrant sandalwood aromas.
Exceptional Mizunara
This exceptional Mizunara single cask bottling at cask strength is limited to 300 bottles. It also marks the launch of the new St. Kilian Exceptional Range, which is reserved for the most exclusive single malt whiskies of the German distillery. The high-quality whisky rarity is presented in a printed 0.5-liter pot-still glass bottle with elegant packaging, emphasizing its uniqueness and exclusivity. “After numerous tastings of bottlings with Mizunara finish, we wanted to find out how a whisky with full Mizunara maturation would taste,” says Master Blender Mario Rudolf. “Inspired by our trip to Japan in 2017, we filled Mizunara oak casks with our mild and smoky new make spirits. The present result exceeds our expectations and confirms the magic that this extraordinary wood creates.”
New Judas Priest Heavy Metal Bottlings
Following the successful launch of its cooperation with the legendary British band Judas Priest, St. Kilian Distillers is also releasing two more heavy metal bottlings. The album with the razor blade on the cover, “British Steel,” is paid tribute with a non-smoky single malt whisky. Limited to 12,000 bottles, this bottling matured largely in ex-190-liter bourbon casks and was married with aged distillates from fresh American white oak casks, which contribute both color and a warming oak spice.
Fans of strongly smoky whiskies will get their money’s worth with the strictly limited special bottling of 1,300 bottles, dedicated to the eleventh studio album “Ram it down.” Here, ultra-heavily peated barley malt with a phenol content of 91 ppm (parts per million) from the Scottish Highlands was used, embodying heavy metal in its purest form. The artful marriage of three 190-liter ex-Bourbon casks and one fresh American white oak cask with two unusual 38-liter ex-peated Bourbon casks results in a true explosion of flavor of spicy peat smoke, sweet fruit mélange, and creamy vanilla.
Both Judas Priest single malt whiskies come in the 0.7-liter bottle with a metal look known from the St. Kilian Heavy Metal series and are neither artificially colored nor chill-filtered.
Premiere at the St. Kilian Online Whisky Tasting on May 06, 2023
Master Distiller Mario Rudolf and Dr. Heinz Weinberger, along with Honorary Brand Ambassador Udo Sonntag, presented the three new single malt whiskies on Saturday, May 06, at 7:00 PM, during the large online whisky tasting live from the St. Kilian Distillery's stillhouse. The online tasting sets, with a total of seven whisky and cask samples, as well as the new Advocaat – egg liqueur made with single malt whisky – were sent to the numerous participants in advance, allowing them to comfortably enjoy the established format from home.
Successful Sales Launch
The retail price for end consumers for the "Mizunara Exceptional Range" is € 249.00. The RRP for the mild "Judas Priest - British Steel" Single Malt Whisky is € 59.90, and for the Ultra Heavily Peated "Judas Priest - Ram it down" Edition, it is € 99.90. Even during the live event from the St. Kilian Distillers Stillhouse, a few minutes after being released in the online shop, the Mizunara Single Malt Whisky bottles from the new "Exceptional Range" were completely sold out. The heavily peated "Judas Priest - Ram it down" bottling also met with great demand. Some bottles are still available in the St. Kilian online shop. The "Judas Priest - British Steel" Single Malt Whisky is available online at St. Kilian, in the shop at the visitor distillery, and in specialist retail stores.
Tasting Notes: Exceptional Mizunara
APPEARANCE
Warm amber
AROMA
An enchanting fruit sweetness, carried by ripe pear, apricot, and exotic melon, underscored by buttery caramel, aromatic sandalwood, and oriental spices.
TASTE
Fruity-sweet start with ripe pears, apples, and apricots, at the same time warming with spicy oak and sandalwood notes as well as some pepper, before the creamy fruit mélange takes over again.
FINISH
Long-lasting with creamy fruit jam, accompanied by dry sandalwood aromas and a hint of buttery toffee.
ALCOHOL CONTENT:
55.1 % vol
RRP:
€ 249.00 (0.5 liters)
Tasting Notes: Judas Priest – British Steel
APPEARANCE
Bright gold
AROMA
Intense fruit notes of ripe pears and apples, accompanied by sweet vanilla, a hint of banana, and subtly spicy oak, underlined by malty notes with a touch of smoke in the background.
TASTE
Creamy-sweet vanilla, ripe pears, crisp apples, and some banana bread complement a pleasantly warming oak spice, accompanied by dark nougat with a hint of barley malt.
FINISH
Subtly spicy, warming oak notes linger for a soothingly long time with a hint of dark chocolate, some dark bread crust, and a touch of dry smoke.
ALCOHOL CONTENT:
47 % vol
RRP:
€ 59.90 (0.7 liters)
Tasting Notes: Judas Priest – Ram it down
APPEARANCE
Bright amber
AROMA
Intense peat smoke, accompanied by creamy vanilla and crunchy barley malt, leaves room for fruity aromas of juicy pears and fresh apricots.
TASTE
The sweet fruit notes of juicy pears and ripe apricots, refined with vanilla cream, are perfectly balanced by a warming oak spice with dry peat smoke.
FINISH
Creamy fruit spread with vanilla lingers pleasantly warm and soothingly long with a delicate biscuit note, dark toffee, and ashy smoke aromas.
ALCOHOL CONTENT:
49 % vol
RRP:
€ 99.90 (0.7 liters)
About Judas Priest
Judas Priest from Birmingham are considered one of the greatest and most influential bands in heavy metal. Originally founded as a blues band in 1969, Judas Priest turned to heavy metal in the mid-1970s. With numerous albums and hits like "Breaking The Law", "Living After Midnight", or "Painkiller", they have left their unmistakable mark on the metal music scene for 50 years now and reached an absolute peak of their metal career with their legendary album "Firepower" in 2018. In 2022, Judas Priest was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame and honored with the “Musical Excellence Award”. For their 50th anniversary, a limited box set with all official live and studio albums as well as 13 previously unreleased CDs was released from the band's vast archives in 2021. More information can be found at www.judaspriest.com.
About Global Merchandising Services Limited
Global Merchandising Services Limited is one of the world’s largest evaluators of merchandising rights in the music and entertainment industry. The company develops unique and innovative international merchandising programs and holds licenses from a variety of internationally successful individual artists, music bands, and entertainment events. Led by Barry Drinkwater, founder and executive chairman, and with offices in London and Los Angeles, California, Global Merchandising Services Limited’s roster includes music groups such as One Direction, Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Iron Maiden, as well as characters and brands like The Emoji Company, Capcom, and entertainment brands like Universal’s “Jurassic World” and Rovio’s “Angry Birds.”
About St. Kilian Distillers GmbH
The German whisky distillery from Rüdenau in Lower Franconia near Miltenberg am Main produces top-class whisky, which has been awarded over 150 gold medals at the most renowned whisky 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 that the distillery, founded only in 2012 by investment banker Andreas Thümmler and thus still young, has reached with its whiskies. St. Kilian Distillers supports the responsible consumption of alcohol, which you can find information about at https://www.massvoll-geniessen.de/. Further information about the company and its portfolio can be found at www.stkiliandistillers.com.
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