Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition launches for £2,250

Only 500 bottles of a 27-year-old single malt from silent Scotch whisky distillery Littlemill have been released globally, with a £2,250 (US$2,970) price tag.

To create Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition, Loch Lomond master blender Michael Henry picked eight refill ex-Bourbon barrels that had been distilled between 11 and 19 May 1990, each filled at 68.8% abv. The casks were then married in fresh Bourbon barrels for 12 months before bottling at 51.3% abv. Each decanter is individually numbered and presented in a case, which includes a piece of Littlemill cask used to mature the whisky, plus a miniature of the whisky itself. Tasting notes include peppermint, eucalyptus, honeysuckle and lavender on the nose, while the palate delivers green apples, grapefruit, pineapple, green tea and clover honey. On the finish, the whisky is said to have flavours of stem ginger, nutmeg, peppermint and sugar syrup. The expression follows the launch of the Littlemill 2015 Private Cellar Edition last year, and is available to purchase in the UK from specialist retailers including The Whisky Exchange, The Whisky Shop, Royal Mile Whiskies and Master of Malt. It will also be released in international markets including Taiwan, France, Germany and travel retail channels. Littlemill is rumoured to be one of the oldest Scotch whisky distilleries. It officially started producing whisky legally in 1772 in Bowling, beside the River Clyde near Glasgow. It fell silent in 1994, before a fire broke out in 2004 destroying the building – but casks from the Littlemill warehouse were saved. Henry said: “It’s a tragedy that the distillery fell silent and was later destroyed by fire, committing Littlemill to legend. “Once the last precious drops are consumed, an important part of Scotland’s and Scotch whisky’s heritage will be lost forever. “A sip of Littlemill 2017 Private Cellar Edition is more than just a memorable pleasure; it is a unique and historic experience and the spirit of the distillery and its innovative stills live on at the Loch Lomond Distillery today.”