Scotland, Lowlands: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes

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Littlemill

Description of the whisky

The distillery

Littlemill distillery

Littlemill Distillery
Bowling
Dumbartonshire
G60 5BG
+44 1389 752 781
Owner: Loch Lomond Distillery Co. Ltd
Creation date: 1772

photos

Amongst the candidates for the title of "oldest Scotland's distillery", Littlemill claims to have the most ancient creation date, 1772. Rebuild in 1875, the distillery used the process of triple distillation until the mid 1930's. Mothballed from 1984 to 1989 the production has been resumed for about 5 years after modernisation of the installations. Closed again in 1994, it has been partially dismantled.
The remaining buildings are nearly in ruin.
However the plan to reopen this distillery and to transform it into a living museum exist.
Is there sill any chance the distillery will reopen one day? When one sees the current state of the building, one could doubt about this...
Some other projects also exist.The local authority gave outline permission in 1995 for a residential development, but plans were not legged before permission elapsed. The site was bought by developers Newstead Properties with the intention to build houses and luxury flats after having dismantled the kilns and mills.
On 4 september 2004, a (probably intentional) fire destroyed the remains of the oldest distillery in Scotland...

The whisky

A propos des notes de dégustation Your own tasting notes

List of the bottles

Description of the distillery

See Help 0 - 40 € 40 - 80 € 80 - 120 € 120 - 160 € 160 - 200 € 200 - 240 € 240 - 280 € > 280 €
 Official bottlings: Littlemill
 

Littlemill 8 years
Age
 8 years
Alcohol
 40°
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
 
 The colour is very pale (white wine) and the nose reveals a marshmallow smell.
The taste is pleasant and recall malted sweetness.
The sweet finish recalls coconuts.

(la Maison du Whisky)

What a pity this Lowlands distillery is nearly abandoned. This relatively young whisky (8 years) is one of the best Lowlands I have tasted. It definitely reconciled me  with the whisky from this area, which is rather modest in the whisky production. A light whisky, like usually from that area, and lots of fragrances and a very pleasant impression in the mouth.

A remarkable fresh nose, cut grass and sweet citrus (tangerine?) followed by a taste recalling the tangerine, and some other subtle and complex aromas on the background, preceding a rather short, but very pleasant finish, with some coconut hints.

The nose is fresh and smooth, mix of grass and cut flowers with some delicacy sweetness. In the mouth, tangerine hints mixed to malt notes contribute to the happiness of the taster. A certain lack of character however, the whole being a bit too smooth. A nice finish, relatively long, and again marked by smoothness with coconut hints.

The nose id nicely fruity (reminds me cherry plum jam smell merged to some yeast hints) with discrete cereal touches. A touch of cut grass.
In the palate, this whisky is quite linear though it is not unpleasant. Malted barley dipped in citrus fruit drops, where barley remains clearly dominant.
The finish is short and flat.
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Littlemill 12 years
Age
 12 years
Alcohol
 40°
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros< 25 euros
Littlemill 12
The nose is very smooth, however with enough character. Hints of ripe fruit (pear, melon) mixed to discrete whiffs of hay and honey. In the palate, smoothness dominates, with touches of honey and nuts. A lack at complexity however, but some very nice impressions. The finish is a bit too short, with slightly bitter hints mixed to smoothness of honey, still present.
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 Independant bottliings: Littlemill

Littlemill
Signatory Vintage
1990

Age
 13 years
Alcohol
 43°
Bottler
 Signatory Vintage
=25 euros=25 euros
Littlemill 1990
The colour is straw with greenish glints.
The nose is floral (iris) and remarkably refined and subtle.
The headier taste evokes butter toffees and spices. The finish is fruity, dominated by ripe pear.
(la Maison du Whisky)
The nose reveals discreet dried grass and ripe fruits (pear) hints.Some remote peat on the background. In the palate, a great sweetness, but some slightly acid touches and clear spicy hints. A rather nice complexity, rather unusual for a Lowlands. The finish is relatively long and is dominated by fruity hints. A nice release.

Pepper and mint mixed with bee wax and nice citrus fragrances (tangerine) make the essential of this interesting nose. Slight hints of smoke and some clear sea air complete the whole. Quite a complex nose. In the palate, bitterness and acidity, both rather discrete. The taste is somewhere between pear and orange with an addition of nutty hings. The whole is nicely smooth. A nice and warm long finish, marked essentially by malt hints and an persisting nutty impression. Nice whisky.
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Littlemill
Scott's Selection
1984

Age
 20 years
Alcohol
 61,3°
Bottler
 Scott's Selection
=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros=25 euros< 25 euros
Littlemill 1984
The nose is quite rich, and typical for the area, with cut grass hints, a great freshness and some fruit whiffs. In the palate, the high degree of alcohol first anethetizes the papillas, but the taste develops quickly from pear alcohol to malted notes, to more complex and advanced hints. A warm finish, powerful but rather short. A first rather deceiving approach. This bottle sure needs more time and aeration in order to develop all its qualities....
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Lowlands

There are only three active distilleries left in the Lowlands. This area was during the 18th and 19th century the main producer of whisky. This area has seen the birth of the industrail production of whisky.

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Click on the map for a list of the distilleries of the area, on the title for further information about the Lowlands area, and if you want to make an "alphabetical journey" through the area, please click on one of the pagode roofs, according to the direction you want to follow

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