Littlemill was a lowland distillery founded in the 18th century and, like many distilleries, saw various transitions of ownership throughout the twentieth centuries. A point of interest is that, unlike other lowland distilleries, this spirit was made from a highland water source, along with peat from Stornoway and Perthshire. Closing for the last time in 1997, the building burned down in 2004. Loch Lomond Distillery, the final owners, decided to make an offering of 1500 bottles from 10 of the remaining casks distilled in 1989 and 1990 of the Littlemill 25 Year. The scarcity of this whisky will surely cause the price to escalate further as it becomes rarer.
This review represents a first for Scotchology. Responding to an online ad on The Whisky Wire via Twitter (many thanks to Steve Rush), we were selected to receive a sample of a Littlemill 25. In return for receiving the dram, everyone was supposed to write and post their review on October 14 using the hashtag of #Littlemill to drive social media awareness of the dram. Unfortunately, the distributor seems to have misjudged the transit time for certain locations and we received it after the desired date. But we still have this review!
Distillery: Littlemill
Region: Lowland
Age: 25 years
Strength: 50.4%
Price: $139.99
Location: Bowling
Maturation: Oloroso Sherry Cask
Nose: Toffee, sawdust, floral, straw, orange
Palate: Wood, leather, seaweed, sweet apple
Finish: Menthol, oak
Comments: Water recommended. With scotch this rare, you need to make it last as long as you can.
Adam – There was a lot squeezed in this little package! Water is definitely needed, as there’s too much lightning without, but several healthy drops definitely opened it up. There was a nice warmth I enjoyed, like a well-maintained room gilt with dark woods. Polished dark woods. I thought I caught a brief flirtation with some medicinal twinges on the edge of my tongue, but it was difficult to capture everything from a sample-sized bottle split five ways. Smooth and refined, with lots of character.
Meghan – Makes me think of a brown or tan color, like leather or suede. A nice balance of everything I like.
It has the essence of green, randy, salty sea in the air.
Jenny – I was getting more of the toffee and sweet out of the Littlemill 25. Before I put water in, I was getting some citrus, a hint of orange.
Michael – Enjoyed it. There was this oily texture I don’t normally get with scotches, distinctive in the way it coated my tongue.
Ben – This is a scotch, but makes me think of an experience in the south of Ireland. The salty, seaweediness reminds me of being out on an Irish golf course jutting out on some peninsula into the sea. The Littlemill 25 has the essence of green, randy, salty sea in the air.
