St. Kilian The Early Days – Ketterer Wash X St. Kilian – Unpeated
Mellow, Sweet Fruity2024-08-14
Smell
The nose presents itself delicately and harmoniously, with subtle sweetness of light grapes and green apples. This unfolds into lightly vinous notes of strawberries, cream toffee, and subtle vanilla, complemented by a hint of spicy oak.
Taste
On the palate, this St. Kilian is full-bodied and creamy-smooth, offering pleasantly balanced, yet somewhat exotic fruitiness of pineapple and coconut, accompanied by hints of forest berries. Here too, the whisky evolves into a spicy direction with oak and very fine tannins.
Finish
The finish is finely tuned and very rounded, medium in length and not overly spicy, with the fruit notes receding further into the background. What lingers is dark caramel, slight nuttiness, and a wonderful dryness with a hint of sherry.
Thoughts
This release from the X-Series offers a very flavorful single malt, noticeably distinct from original St. Kilian bottlings. The harmony of toffee and the wine influence from the Sauternes casks gives the whisky a beautiful, full-bodied, and warming flavor profile. Rounded and well-balanced, this is a strong recommendation, as we likely won't encounter this profile often from the Rüdenau distillery in the future.