Littlemill 45-year-old to sell for £9,500
To mark what would have been Littlemill Distillery’s 250th anniversary this year, a 45-year-old whisky will be released for £9,500 (US$11,250).
The 45-year-old Scotch will be the oldest release from Littlemill to date, and only 250 bottles will be available. Bottled at 41.8% ABV, Littlemill 45 Years Old will be available from 22 August. Founded in 1772 in Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, the distillery was destroyed in a fire in 2004. Since then, Loch Lomond Group master blender Michael Henry has watched over the remaining whisky casks. Henry commented: “Littlemill was lost before its contribution to whisky could ever be fully acknowledged and applauded. However, we are lucky to have the remaining few casks under our care, a stone’s throw from where the original distillery once stood, and it felt only right to mark this significant milestone with a very special limited release. “Distilled in 1976 and double-distilled in Littlemill’s bespoke straight-neck pot stills, which were designed to give triple distillation-style character, this is a Lowland single malt whisky of exceptional character. “In keeping with our records of how Littlemill was treated, I have given the liquid a final six-month finish in first-fill oloroso Sherry hogsheads. “You can taste the history in every precious drop, from elderflower, camomile and lemon zest, to the silk-like crème caramel and tart green apple, and the warming ginger and cinnamon spice finish.” To celebrate the release, photographer Stefan Sappert has collaborated with Loch Lomond Group to create 250 silver-on-black glass photographic plates. The plates are stored beneath the decanter, and depict images of the River Clyde, which runs close to the closed Littlemill site. Each plate is individually numbered and unique; they each contain Sappert’s signature and fingerprints on the back. Sappert said: “The art of whisky making is fascinating. Like wet plate photography, it captures a moment that requires an equal amount of patience, dedication, passion and, most importantly, time. “My work uses one of the oldest photographic processes that links directly to the 1770s, where the basis of creating permanent photographs was discovered and when Littlemill was founded. “I work with an old wooden camera and a historic lens that is over 160 years old. The result is not just a digital image, but a genuine piece of art.”
