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Littlemill Rolls Out Another High End Scotch Single Malt

There’s a new release from Littlemill, the long-defunct distillery behind the 40-year-old Celestial Edition single malt we reviewed earlier this year. This expression is a 29-year-old single malt being unveiled as part of the Private Cellar collection.

When it was operational, Littlemill was said to be the oldest licensed distillery in Scotland, dating all the way back to 1773. Just over 200 years later, in 1994, it ceased operation, before burning down in 2004. The whisky that remains is laid up at the Loch Lomond distillery, and the Loch Lomond Group is responsible for this crop of new releases. A lot happened in that 200-year history; Littlemill was one of the first scotch distilleries to have a female licensee, Jane MacGregor, in 1823. The distillery was also an innovator in still design, using a still that could produce several different styles of whisky starting in 1931. That design is still being used at the Loch Lomond distillery today.

Like previous expressions, the 29-year-old will come in a bespoke Glencairn crystal decanter; this one is etched with a map of the river Clyde, with a star marking the distillery’s location in Bowling. Each decanter will be individually numbered and come in a display box with a 5-cl miniature—so you can taste the stuff before you lock it safely away in a bank vault—and a piece of an original Littlemill cask.

Littlemill 29 Year Old
Littlemill 29 Year Old (image via Loch Lomond Group)

As to the whisky itself, this is a Lowland-style single malt that master blender Michael Harry says focuses on wood character. “The original liquid was laid down in refill bourbon casks in 1990,” said Harry in a prepared statement. “Seven of these were selected and combined, then finished in first-fill oloroso sherry and Limousin oak casks. The oloroso sherry adds further floral notes, similar to the traditional sherry casks used at the Littlemill distillery, while the Limousin oak provides the European oak influence. The result is unmistakably Littlemill, with delicious caramel sweetness layered with spice.”

The Littlemill 29 Year Old is bottled at 47.3% ABV and comes with a suggested retail price of £2,750, or just around $3,400.

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