Lucky No. 7
and exciting crossover project
with a popular Brandenburg distillery
St. Kilian Distillers presented their oldest single malt whisky to date
at the December online tasting and ignited a whisky firework display with selected cask crackers.
At the end of the year, the Lower Franconian whisky distillery St. Kilian Distillers was once again inviting guests to a very special online whisky tasting with over 1.300 tasting sets sold before the show.
By January 8th, 2024 about 2.156 viewers have seen the highly professional show which was broadcasted live from the still house of St Kilian in Rüdenau, near Miltenberg in Lower Franconia (about one hour drive from Frankfurt a.M.).
From left: Christoph Albietz, Steffen Lohr, Mario Rudolf, Andreas Kreser
The Web Tasting Show was held on December 28th, 2023. Participants were St Kilian's CTO and Whisky Maker Mario Rudolf, St Kilian's Director of Communication Andreas Kreser and St Kilian's Brand Ambassador Christoph Albietz. Special guest was Steffen Lohr from the East German Stork Club Whiskey Distillery in Schlepzig (one hour and a half drive south of Berlin).
The anticipation among whisky connoisseurs was so great
that around 1,300 tasting sets with the eight exclusive samples
were sent out in advance.
The response after the new products were released in the online store on the tasting evening was also extremely positive.
The Presentation is in German...
Mario Rudolf says:
The last St. Kilian Online Whisky Tasting of the year on December 28, 2023 was once again a great success.
The highlight of the enjoyable evening was undoubtedly the tasting of the cask sample of the St. Kilian "Lucky No. 7" bottling,
which will be bottled on January 18, 2024 after seven years of maturation as the oldest St. Kilian single malt whisky to date.
NB: By January 8th, 2024, about 2156 viewers have seen the show which was recorded in the still house of St Kilian distillery in Rüdenau, near Miltenberg in Lower Franconia (about one hour drive from Frankfurt a.M.). They listened to a detailed talk about the various methods of whisky production and the particular specification of whisky maturation.
Special insight into whisky blending and vatting of the releases was given by Mario Rudolf and Steffen Lohr to the audience. Additional teaching video clips (example, please see below) made for a better understanding and appreciation of their whisky making philosophy. We have tuber in mind that not all viewers are familiar with distilleries and their working methods. Therefore
visualization of the phenomenon is absolutely necessary to foster understanding and comprehension.
St Kilian web shows are well structured tutorials and make for a better appreciation of their craftsmanship of distilling.
Other highlights presented were
two blended whiskies "Fifty Fifty Mild" and "Fifty Fifty Peated",
which is the result of the long-standing collaboration between St. Kilian Distillers and the German STORK CLUB whiskey distillery. (Note they prefer the spelling of whiskey)
In addition, Steffen Lohr, founder and managing director of the STORK CLUB whiskey distillery in Brandenburg, presented an almost cask-strength
Stork Club Full Proof Rye Whiskey.
Numerous whisky fans were also able to enjoy the premiere of
a mild
and
peated St. Kilian single cask bottling
as well as
a mild handfilled whisky from a former Cognac cask (non-peated)
To round off the tasting, the participants enjoyed the full-bodied
Bud Spencer banana cream liqueur - BANANA JOE.
St Kilian's Oldest Single Malt
The highlight of the evening will undoubtedly be the joint tasting of the oldest single malt whisky from the Lower Franconian distillery to date, which will be bottled in January 2024 as
the first 7-year-old single malt whisky from St. Kilian, "Lucky No. 7".
In the run-up to the launch, whisky connoisseurs and fans of the distillery were able to vote for the first 7-year-old St. Kilian single malt in an online ballot of three individual casks.
A cask sample of the voting winner is included in the online tasting set and offers participants a foretaste of which of the three rarities available for selection will be bottled on 18 January 2024, when it will reach the age of seven years.
The "Lucky No. 7" single malt whisky, limited to 370 bottles, was completely sold out within a few minutes.
The "ex Tokaji Aszú" single cask bottling, limited to 350 bottles, also quickly reached its fans.
Cooperation Stork and St Kilian
Another highlight of the online tasting was the high-proof joint project between St. Kilian Distillers and the German STORK CLUB whiskey distillery.
"Fifty Fifty Mild" and "Fifty Fifty Peated", two exceptional blended whiskies, are the result of several years of collaboration between the two distilleries.
St. Kilian was also presenting two fascinating single malt whiskies, a mild and a peated single cask bottling as well as a mild hand-filled whisky from an ex-Cognac cask.
Steffen Lohr also presented the Stork Club Full Proof Rye Whiskey.
The new releases in detail
Single Cask – Lucky No. 7 (limited to 370 bottles):
The limited edition of the first 7-year-old St. Kilian single malt whisky is just waiting to set a new milestone in the history of the still young St Kilian distillery. Fans of the distillery were able to choose their favourite from three subtly peated single malt whiskies in an online vote beforehand.
The following single cask bottlings were available to choose from:
- Virgin American White Oak Barrel (190 litres)
- Ex Pedro Ximénez Sherry Hogshead (250 litres)
- Ex Oloroso Sherry Hogshead (250 litres)
The winning bottling will be presented on the evening of the online tasting and a cask sample will be tasted. The St. Kilian Lucky No. 7 can already be pre-ordered on the evening of the online tasting before it is bottled on 18 January 2024 after completing its seven years of maturation.
ABV: 57.7%
RRP: € 69.90 (0.5 litres)
Blended Whiskies Kilian & Stork Fifty Fifty
Blended whiskies – Fifty Fifty Mild and Fifty Fifty Peated (in bundle, limited to 1,050 sets)
Together with the German STORK CLUB whiskey distillery from Schlepzig in Brandenburg, St. Kilian Distillers was presenting two exceptional bottlings – Fifty Fifty Mild and Fifty Fifty Peated.
In this high-proof joint project, mild and peated St. Kilian new make single malt spirit was combined in equal parts with mild Stork Club new make rye spirit.
Filled in a mix of virgin American white oak, ex Tennessee whiskey cask and small, 50 litre ex bourbon casks, these blended whiskies matured for five years in the respective warehouses in Schlepzig (mild version) and Rüdenau (peated version).
Two special whisk(e)y creations that embody the essence of whisky craftsmanship, tradition and quality.
Fifty Fifty Mild
Colour: Amber
Nose: The spicy scent of cereals and cloves, combined with vanilla, yellow apples and ripe apricots, is wrapped in caramel tones and finely balanced with subtle oak notes.
Palate: The creamy combination of vanilla, caramel and cereal with the fruity notes of ripe apples and juicy apricots is slowly replaced by the incoming warmth of black pepper and spicy oak and refined with dry dark chocolate.
Finish: Creamy caramel gives the finish a long-lasting depth with the warming combination of fruit jam, a pinch of cloves, espresso and spicy as well as dry wood tones.
ABV: 50.0%
Fifty Fifty Peated
Colour: Dark gold
Nose: The spicy aroma of cereals and cloves, accompanied by vanilla and delicate caramel, combines with mild peat smoke and dry ash tones, through which fruity notes of apricots and peaches slowly penetrate.
Palate: The full-bodied combination of creamy fruit notes with dark caramel and spicy cloves is accompanied by warming peat smoke and oak spice, complemented by dry dark chocolate and skilfully refined with a pinch of black pepper.
Finish: Warming notes of fruit jam and espresso complement dry ash tones and spicy pepper with a pinch of cloves to create a harmoniously long finish.
ABV: 50.0%
RRP: € 129.00 in bundle (2x 0.7 litres), only available in a bundle
St Kilian Tokaji Aszú
Single Cask Mild – ex sweet wine Tokaji Aszú (limited to 350 bottles).
For this special single cask bottling, the mild St. Kilian new make was allowed to mature for four years in a 225 litre Hungarian oak barrique, in which the premium sweet wine Tokaji Aszú had previously matured.
Mario Rudolf describes:
The sweet elegance of the famous Hungarian white wine
merged with the rich, spicy notes of the oak cask
to create a harmonious overall experience.
Every drop of this exquisite single malt whisky
ignites a magnificent firework display
of exotic fruity, floral and spicy flavours.
Colour: Shining gold
Nose: The fascinating aroma of ripe apricots, juicy peaches and yellow pears is accompanied by fresh blossom honey and fine vanilla, which are perfectly rounded off with a subtle oak spice.
Palate: The creamy fruit sweetness of juicy pears, apricots with peaches continues with honey and brings subtle bitter notes of Seville oranges and almonds, which are supported by a warming oak spice with a hint of dark chocolate.
Finish: The warming and creamy melange of light fruit, spicy honey and subtle vanilla lingers for a very long time with hazelnut notes and dry oak tones.
ABV: 57.4%
RRP: € 69.90 (0.5 litres)
St Kilian Bitter Aperitif Fisini
Single Cask Peated – ex Bitter Aperitif Fisini (limited to 300 bottles)
This peated single cask bottling has a cask history that is as unique as it is complex.
Firstly, the new make, made from Scottish peated barley malt, matured for around 2.5 years in a former Jack Daniel's Tennessee whiskey cask. The second maturation then took place in an ex Woodford Reserve Rye cask, which had previously been filled with the bitter aperitif Fisini from the Black Forest.
Mario Rudolf:
The result after a total of six years of maturation is a multi-layered single malt whisky with a harmonious interplay of fruity berries, spicy herbal flavours and a gentle smoky note.
The perfect balance between strength and sophistication.
Colour: Amber
Nose: The sweet fruity aroma of dark berries and cherries is accompanied by spicy herbs and a hint of caramel and gently wrapped in mild peat smoke with delicate ash notes.
Palate: The wonderful sweetness of red berries and dark cherries with creamy caramel and vanilla is complemented by a simultaneously warming oak spice with autumnal herbal notes and masterfully rounded off by delicate peat smoke with subtle dry ash tones.
Finish: The warming, creamy melange of caramel, herbs and a hint of vanilla lingers for a very long time with spicy rye notes and increasingly dry ash tones.
ABV: 54.8%
RRP: € 69.90 (0.5 litres)
St Kilian Ex Cognac Cask
Handfilled whisky - ex Cognac cask (limited to 225 bottles).
This mild single malt whisky matured in a 30-year-old, 350-litre ex-Cognac cask made of French oak and was bottled after four years with a strong 61.4% abv.
It captivates with a beguiling bouquet of ripe, yellow fruit, accompanied by sweet honey and a warming oak spice, reminiscent of a walk through an orchard in late summer.
Colour: Straw
Nose: Must-like, intense fruity notes of green apples, apricots and yellow grapes, accompanied by a delicate hint of cognac and sweet blossom honey.
Palate: Fruit basket with a marvellous sweetness of pears, apples and apricots, accompanied by creamy toffee and a warming oak spice with well-integrated alcohol.
Finish: Long lasting with creamy honey and some toffee, plus subtle dry notes of grape seeds and Seville oranges with a hint of warming oak spice.
ABV: 61.4%
RRP: € 69.90 (0.5 litres)
Available in limited numbers
About Spreewood Distillers GmbH
Three friends travel to Brandenburg to buy a cask of whiskey and come home with a distillery. This is how the story of the founders Sebastian Brack, Steffen Lohr and Bastian Heuser can be summarised briefly and succinctly. 60 kilometres south of Berlin lies the idyllic floodplain landscape of the Spreewald, which resembles a river delta. The lowlands with their unique microclimate offer the best conditions for maturing whiskey. The STORK CLUB distillery in the picturesque village of Schlepzig, which was founded in 2003 and taken over by Spreewood Distillers in 2016, is located here in the centre of a biosphere reserve and surrounded by rye fields.
The distillery is the first 100% rye whiskey distillery in Germany;
STORK CLUB Rye Whiskey was named "World's Best Rye Whiskey" at the World Whiskies Awards in 2019, among other honours.
About St. Kilian Distillers GmbH
The German whisky distillery from Rüdenau near Miltenberg am Main in Lower Franconia 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" 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.
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