Peated Rich & Smoky

St. Kilian Distillers was founded in 2012 in a converted textile factory in Rüdenau, Bavaria, named after a 7th-century Irish-Scottish missionary who preached in Würzburg. This Peated Rich & Smoky is uncompromising: heavily peated barley from the Scottish Highlands is matured 70% in ex-bourbon casks and 30% in Pedro Ximénez and Oloroso sherry casks.

The result is full-bodied and oily, with smoke as the lead voice but not the only one. Black pepper and spice cut through the peat, while vanilla and toffee emerge underneath. Apricots and pears provide fruity counterbalance, preventing the whisky from becoming one-dimensional.

This is a dram for those who want peat front and centre—but not at the expense of texture and sweetness. The sherry casks add creamy depth without masking the smoke, creating a whisky that rewards both the peated-whisky devotee and anyone curious about how smoke and fruit can coexist.