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 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. The scarcity of this whisky will surely cause the price to escalate further as it becomes rarer.
Talisker Storm
The Diageo conglomerate recently released three new No Age Statement whiskys via Talisker. The Storm is easily the most available of these, and offers a nice entry point to the Talisker brand. Scotch is partially an expression of local elements, and the dominant feature around the Isle of Skye is the sea. We heard a story about the casks for this whisky spending at least part of their maturation on a barge just off the coast, to better soak in the brine from the ocean. We like it, even if it is a tall tale. A more tactile influence on the taste is the use of rejuvenated casks, older casks that have been de-charred and recharged to give them an extended lifespan.