St. Kilian The Early Days – Ketterer Wash X St. Kilian – Unpeated
Bit by bit, as the St. Kilian distillery in Rüdenau continues its presence, we're seeing older releases emerge. Today, we sampled an 8-years Ketterer x St. Kilian from the X-Series, named after the customs numbers of the barrels containing foreign wash. The wash for this single malt was sourced from the Ketterer family brewery, the former domain of Master Distiller Mario Rudolf. Unusually for St. Kilian, this whisky isn't a marriage of fully matured spirits. Instead, it has been re-racked, spending portions of its maturation in ex-bourbon and ex-Sauternes barrique casks.
The panel
Mean 81.0 · spread 2
Value for money 2/5
- Distillery
- St. Kilian
- Type
- Single Malt
- Country
- Germany
- Age
- 8 years
- Strength
- 58.3% ABV
- Character
- mellow
Tasting
Nose
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.
Palate
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.
Verdicts
Marcel
This St. Kilian proves that even an 8-years single malt with an unusual wash can be a truly well-rounded experience – creamy, fruity, and with a delightful dose of toffee that simply melts on the palate. For connoisseurs who love bold combinations, this is a genuine recommendation from Rüdenau that’s fun to drink yet never loses its subtly playful elegance.
Sascha
The complex balance between ex-bourbon and Sauternes cask maturation reveals itself here in a structured, well-balanced profile with clear fruity sweetness and delicate tannin notes. Despite its 58.3% ABV, the whisky remains harmonious, offering a precise interplay of fruit, spice, and subtle dryness – a technically solid example of St. Kilian’s innovative spirit.
What it is worth
No auction record for this distillery, so we cannot tell you what this bottle is worth. We would rather say that than guess.