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 is presenting a very special highlight for the VI Celtic Castle Festival at Thurnau Castle. To mark the festival, co-organized by St. Kilian Ambassador Udo Sonntag, the distillery from the tranquil town of Rüdenau near Miltenberg is presenting a smoky single malt whisky that has been 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 rousing musical performances and the finest culinary delights, high-quality whiskies provide the perfect setting for a top-class event. This makes it all the more exciting that St. Kilian Distillers is unveiling its latest single malt whisky creation, which combines the flavors of Scotland and the craftsmanship of Franconia. At the big "Whisky & Music Experience", St. Kilian Master Blender Mario Rudolf will personally present the exclusive Celtic Castle Festival Edition 2023.
Made from Scottish peated smoked malt, the Celtic Castle Edition matured for almost four years in a single, 310-liter ex Ripasso red wine barrel. This special cask was sourced from the renowned Lenotti winery in Bardolino on Lake Garda in Italy. The single malt whisky promises a harmonious and powerful taste experience with a creamy, sweet blend of fruit and vanilla married with warming oak spice and sweet peat smoke.
"We have a long-standing partnership with Claudio Lenotti and are now also deep friends. The quality of the French oak barrels in which his high-quality wines - especially the Amarone di Valpolicella and the 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 makes us happy every time."
Available in limited numbers from Friday, 10.11.
The Celtic Castle Edition 2023 is strictly limited. The cask strength single malt whisky was neither colored nor chill-filtered and was bottled in a total of 600 bottles with the iconic still shape. The special bottling will also be available from Friday, November 10, 2023, in the St. Kilian Distillers online store and on site at the distillery in Rüdenau.
Tasting Notes
Appearance
Reddish Amber
Aroma
A beguiling 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 ashy aromas.
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 blend of grapes, fruit and vanilla lingers for a very long time with ashy smoke, slightly dry cocoa notes and a pinch 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 the Lower Franconian town of Rüdenau near Miltenberg am Main produces top-class whiskies and liqueurs that have been awarded more than 200 gold medals at the most prestigious competitions around the globe. In addition, awards such as "World-Class Distillery", "Distillery of the Year" and "Whisky of the Year" also testify to the top international level at which the young distillery, founded in 2012 by investment banker Andreas Thümmler and in production since 2016, operates with its whiskies. St. Kilian Distillers supports the responsible use of alcohol, about which you can find out more at https://www.massvoll-geniessen.de/. For more information on the company and portfolio, visit www.stkiliandistillers.com.