Littlemill launches annual collection

Closed Scotch whisky distillery Littlemill has unveiled a new annual collection that utilises its remaining liquid.

Established in 1772, the Littlemill Distillery closed in 1994 and was destroyed by fire in 2004. Its last surviving casks have been held under the care of Loch Lomond Distillery ever since, stored a short distance from where the original distillery once stood. Now, a new series called The Cask Reflections Collection will revive Littlemill’s past, honouring tradition while embracing innovation with recrafted flavours and finishes using liquid from the rescued barrels. The first release in the series, Cask Reflections Release No 1, has been aged for 33 years and was initially stored in refill Bourbon barrels, followed by a four-month finish in Japanese mizunara oak casks that were selected by Michael Henry, master blender at Loch Lomond Group, owner of Littlemill. The result is a fragrant whisky that is ‘carefully rich’ in sandalwood spice, and is said to perfectly complete the floral elderflower and fruit of the Lowland malt. Henry noted: “The Cask Reflection Collection will revive the spirit of discovery associated with Littlemill’s founding years and subsequent boom. We have worked to honour the liquid, enhancing its delicate Lowland qualities with the fascinating traits of the Japanese mizanura oak. “Mizunara oak takes time to grow and only yields a small amount of wood annually. Like Littlemill, it is rare. The staves are thick and porous, imparting flavour at a much greater pace, which requires my keenest attention and care to ensure the finish doesn’t overpower what would have been the distillery character. “The stakes are high when you’re responsible for a liquid this finite, but the result is an exquisite start to this journey of Cask Reflections – one that I feel very fortunate to be able to undertake on behalf of those who came before me.” Nick Bradley, prestige portfolio manager at Loch Lomond Group, added: “What precious Littlemill casks remain now fall under the care of Michael; with more than 30 years’ experience, no one has such intimate appreciation of Littlemill’s style, and how best to preserve it. “Cask Reflections is a revival of the past while looking at Littlemill through a new lens. The goal is to maintain the essence of what made our Lowland malt so distinctive but now recrafting it with new and previously unexplored cask finishes to provide an entirely new dimension to the whisky, which even the most avid of collectors and whisky enthusiasts won’t have experienced before. “This is rare whisky that deserves to be open and enjoyed; to experience the level of thought and craft of Michael and to taste something truly exceptional. It is our homage to that enduring spirit of discovery that defined Littlemill’s leaders over two and a half centuries.” Only 570 bottles of Cask Reflections Release No 1 are available worldwide, priced at £3,800 (US$5,096). It has been bottled at a cask strength of 49.1% ABV, and is presented in the traditional Littlemill-style decanter from Glencairn Crystal, and housed in a wooden display box with etchings inspired by Japanese art. Cask Reflections Release No 1 is now available from specialist wine and spirits merchant Berry Bros & Rudd, and via the Littlemill website and other specialist retailers. To mark what would have been its 250th anniversary, Littlemill Distillery released a 45-year-old whisky in 2022.