Littlemill 21yo Second Release (OB, 2014)
Many independent bottlings of Littlemill had hit the market in the past couple of years, but there are actually some official bottlings available as well. The brandname is owned by the Loch Lomond Group. They also own stock of Littlemill, and occasionally release an official Littlemill. Kind of like Diageo has been doing with Port Ellen and Brora.
The Littlemill I review today is 21 years old and comes in a peculiar package. The bottle is shaped like a potstill and is completely black. I’m not sure if I like it, but it sure does stand out.
Littlemill 21yo (47%, OB, 4550 bts.)
Nose: As typical as a Littlemill gets. Very grassy (straw) with honey, grain, cookie dough and cardboard, with a hint of glue. It smells mildly sugared, with red apple and mandarine. Superbly balanced.
Taste: The first hit consists of lime, orange, grapefruit and apple. There is a slight dustiness and it is a bit grainy. But overall it is a lovely fruity palate, with a little bit of mint and other herbs.
Finish: Long, herbal and fruity.
Rating: 90
A dangerously drinkable Littlemill, very smooth and certainly representative of the distillery style. Also a worthy official bottling. Lack a little bit of punch maybe, but that’s me nitpicking more than anything else.
Thijs is a spirits writer and accredited liquorist from The Netherlands. He runs the blog Words of Whisky and contributes to a number of Dutch and international publications.
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