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The SMS: How Littlemill, the quietest whisky distillery, remains as loud as ever

Posted on by Gary Quinn
22
Oct

Glen Melia, of the Single Malt Fund, on how Littlemill continues to raise its voice and value

OPINION: The silent distillery, Littlemill, by virtue of its popularity and increasing rarity, is a highly collectible whisky that will gather strength and value as the years pass
WHAT’S THE STORY?

As silent distilleries go, there’s few quieter than Littlemill. Sold and closed in 1994, dismantled in 1997 and the site subsequently destroyed by fire in 2004, it seems there’s no coming back for this once much-loved lowland distillery. With more than two centuries of distilling heritage behind it, there’s real tragedy in the tale of a business that grew from a brewery in 1772 on the banks of the River Clyde. Luckily, not all their stock was wiped out in the fires and there are remaining releases to come, as well as the existing bottles in circulation, which are incredibly popular collectors’ items.

WHO’S DRIVING IT?

Littlemill is now owned by Loch Lomond Group, which also owns Glen Scotia and Loch Lomond distillery. Its master distiller, Michael Henry, selects a small amount of Littlemill whisky each year to create a small series of expressions that come in batches of a few hundred bottles.

WHY DOES IT STAND OUT?

Littlemill, in its various editions, is a wonderful whisky and a solid representation of the personality of the Lowlands. One of the bottles featured here, Littlemill 25-year-old, for example, is part of the brand’s Private Cellar Edition. Bottled in 2015, it represents the final years of the working distillery, having been laid down in the very late 1980s or early 1990, some four years before the distillery closed. It’s one of 1,500 bottles released and its value today is undoubtedly linked to its origins. After a combination of oak casks during maturity it was married in an Oloroso sherry cask and comes with a miniature 5cl bottle so you can sample this unique whisky.

WHAT’S ITS EDGE?

Rarity is a natural cornerstone of Littlemill’s identity in the 21st century. Such small amounts of the whisky remain in cask that each annual release brings us one step closer to the real end of the whisky’s chapter.

 

WHAT’S THE CORE RANGE?

Rather than a core range, Littlemill have a small series of bottles of various ages and finishes. The oldest to date is the Testament Release. This was distilled in 1976 and then recasked in 1996 into American Oak Hogsheads. It then had a four-month stint in first fill Oloroso sherry before a final two-month vatting prior to bottling. The Celestial Edition is a 40-year-old single malt that had an eight month finish in oloroso while the Private Cellar 29-Year-old, pictured here, uses liquid selected from some of the last remaining casks to be laid down immediately before the distillery was closed.

THE BOTTOM LINE?

Littlemill, by virtue of its popularity and increasing rarity, is a highly collectible whisky that will gather strength and value as the years pass. It is not merely a bottling of old whisky, but an investment in the protection and shaping of an historic brand’s heritage. It’s very much a contender for your investment.

– in conversation with Gary Quinn

See all our Littlemill bottles here

Gary Quinn

Gary Quinn is an award-winning writer and editor based in Dublin. He's the author of the Harper Collins book Irish Whiskey and writes about whisk(e)y for the Single Malt Shop, The Irish Times, The Irish Whiskey Magazine and others.

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