This venerable distillery is one I don’t have any personal history with. I’d barely heard about it until this year. Interestingly, Littlemill has a claim on being the oldest licensed scotch whisky distillery, founded 1772 or at least 1773, but due to the uncertainty of the evidence Glenturret (1775), Bowmore (1779) and Strathisla (1786) are officially considered the oldest. In any case, while the latter three are still running, Littlemill has ceased to exist. A number of closings and reopenings preceded its destruction by fire in 2004, but by then it had not been operation since 1994. Some of it old stock very occasionally appears as new bottlings on the market by independents, but as one can imagine there is a thriving secondary market for Littlemill, which seems both appreciated for its delicate tropical fruit flavour and collectability. Sounds like my cup of whisky!
Littlemill 26yo 1992 Hunter Laing
Type: Scotch single malt
Alcohol: 50.0%
Cask info: single cask
Bottling info: unchillfiltered and natural colour, not cask strength
Price and availability: ~£400 from Ardnahoe distillery
🔗WhiskyBase
Review sample bought for £15 from Ardnahoe distillery bar
Experience ⚡
A very delicate nose of green grass and minerality, foremost; also flowers, citrus, and ripe tropical fruits. Hints of vanilla and nutmeg as well; just a little perfumey. The palate has wonderful texture, is semi-dry, with a fine bitterness. A little ashiness develops in the finish; otherwise the taste is predominantly fruity and malty.
Thoughts 💡
In my book, this is an outstanding bourbon-cask maturation resulting in a delicate and delicious dram, that may be rather straightforward but is fully satisfying and without any particular flaws. I would easily pay €150 for a bottle of this. A shame it’s €400…
⭐ Great Quality
❤️ Personal Favourite
Littlemill 33yo 1989 Maltbarn
Type: Scotch single malt
Alcohol: 50.1%
Cask info: bourbon
Bottling info: unchillfiltered and natural colour
Price and availability: €575, no sold out
🔗WhiskyBase
2cl review sample bought from Maltbarn for €17 at Limburg Whisky Fair 2023
Experience ⚡
Peachy nose. Super peachy. And some really exotic tropical fruits that I can’t put my finger on (dragon fruit maybe?). A floral touch too, carried by tea leaves and coriander seed; some vanilla and hint of tiger balm. Intense on the palate; the alcohol is lively, the texture thick. The primary flavour is of tropical fruit (ripe mango and bergamot). With each sip, an ashy taste blooms and then subsides; the finish is nice and fruity, but more generic than the beautiful nose.
Thoughts 💡
Absolutely gorgeous nose, complex and mature. Not so delicate, more of a fruit punch. It’s not best in the class of old ex-bourbon Speysiders, but it’s hella good!
⭐ Great Quality
❤️ Personal Favourite
Littlemill 25yo 1988 Douglas Laing
Type: Scotch single malt
Alcohol: 56.2%
Cask info: refill hogshead
Bottling info: unchillfiltered and natural colour
Price and availability: original RRP unknown; secondary market currently €800+
🔗WhiskyBase
2cl review sample bought from Malt Harry for €16 at Limburg Whisky Fair 2023
Experience ⚡
Summer meadow on the nose; grassy (like a quality olive oil) and floral; fruits too, in particular lemon and pomegranate. Some fresh cream and a powdering of vanilla sugar. Overall, a very delicate nose. The taste is quite austere, somewhat bitter and phenolic. Beside a grassy, peppery flavour, I detect a cardboardy note that I associate with improper storage, in particular in sample bottles…
Thoughts 💡
The nose is absolutely magnificent, but the staleness of the palate means this sample is off. Very sad, as I believe an untainted sample would’ve easily earned a ❤️.
❓Inconclusive
I think I’ve found a new favourite distillery, to form a holy trinity with Linkwood and Glen Elgin. But I wonder, is it because of the inherent and special quality of Littlemill that it’s so good, or just a selection effect that only the very best expressions and casks have been left for the present?
DuckDrams 
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