St. Kilian ex Tokaji Aszú Single Cask (2019/2026)
There are whiskies you drink – and whiskies you experience. The St. Kilian ex Tokaji Aszú Single Cask belongs to the latter. Matured in a Hungarian noble wine cask that once cradled the golden nectar of Tokaj, this heavily peated single malt weaves the smoky soul of Franconia together with the sweet poetry of the Hungarian wine country.
Tasting Notes
Nose
The nose opens like a promise: fruit sweetness settles gently in the air, carried by a whisper of vinosity that recalls sun-drenched Hungarian vineyards. Blossom honey weaves a golden thread through the bouquet – warm, inviting, and with a tenderness that nearly makes you forget the heavy peat beneath.
Palate
Oily and bold, a different truth emerges: the whisky announces its presence with conviction. White pepper dances across the tongue, accompanied by a prickly, almost electric texture that keeps every sip alive. Beneath it, charred notes smoulder like the last embers of a campfire – dark, warm, and with an intensity that gets under your skin.
Finish
Voluminous and with a velvety nuttiness, the finale unfolds and lingers like a final chord in the air. Sweetness and milk chocolate melt into an afterglow of remarkable warmth – as if savouring a piece of chocolate by the fireplace while the autumn wind sweeps across the Franconian hills outside.
Thoughts
Marcel 84/100 - (Excellent)
Not quite my world, but remarkably approachable for a peated whisky. The marriage of Tokaji sweetness and peat smoke is like an encounter between two worlds that were never meant to meet, yet harmonise surprisingly well. A glass in which Hungary and Franconia quietly tell a beautiful story together.
Sascha 84/100 - (Excellent)
A well-struck balance between vinous fruit and heavy peat, where the Tokaji Aszú cask lends the smoky distillate an unexpected elegance. The bold texture and voluminous finish speak of craftsmanship coming into its own – a single cask that carries its 80 ppm with remarkable grace.
Value for Money: 3/5 (Fair)
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Tokaji Aszú and what makes this cask so special?
Tokaji Aszú is one of the world's most famous dessert wines, made from botrytised grapes in Hungary's Tokaj region. The Hungarian oak cask in which this golden sweet wine previously matured imparts a honey-soft fruit sweetness and vinous depth to the whisky – a rare and noble cask origin that gives the heavy peat smoke a poetic counterpoint.
How does heavy peat smoke work with a sweet wine cask?
Remarkably well. The 80 ppm peat brings depth and intensity, while the Tokaji Aszú cask contributes fruit sweetness and vinous elegance. Rather than overshadowing each other, the two influences complement one another – the smoke provides structure, the sweetness provides warmth. A similar interplay can be found in the ex Sherry Oloroso Single Cask – Ultra Heavily Peated.
Should you add water to the St. Kilian ex Tokaji Aszú?
At cask strength of 58.8%, experimentation pays off: neat, the full oily power and prickly pepper unfold. A few drops of water release the fruit sweetness and milk chocolate in the finish. Both approaches have their charm – best to start with a neat sip and work your way from there.