Right, I promised more Littlemill, so here it is. The main reason for this post is the launch of the second edition of The Dutch Trilogy, a Littlemill 1990 34 Years. But we’ll have a nice aperitif from The First Editions as well – a bottle from my own stash that I opened recently.
But first The Dutch Trilogy. It’s a project from Dutch importer De Monnik Dranken. They bought a cask of Littlemill outright from the Loch Lomond Group (who own the brand name and a good bit of stock). Instead of releasing the cask all at once, it will be bottled in three stages.
The whisky initially matured in a refill bourbon barrel, but was re-racked into an ex-Oloroso sherry hogshead in early 2015. The first 60 bottles from this Littlemill were released in 2022, now the second 60 bottles have hit the market. The final 60 bottles will be launched sometime in the future.
It’s an interesting experiment in maturation, gradually increasing the headspace in the cask allowing for more interaction with oxygen. I’ve tried the first edition at an event two years ago, but wasn’t able to try the two versions side-by-side. Maybe, if I’m lucky, once all three editions are released. Should be an fun head-to-head-to-head, no?
But for now, we’ll turn our attention to the aforementioned aperitif. A reminder of Littlemill ten years ago, when these bottles were sold for… Well, let’s not go there.
Littlemill 1988 24 Years (55.8%, The First Editions, 330 bts.)
Nose: Delicate fruits with citrus taking centre stage. A hint of lemon grass, some nice pomelo notes, and also slivers of tinned peaches and pineapple juice. Also a slightly leafier element, but I don’t find any of the cardboard notes I often find in Littlemill. Rather exemplary.
Taste: Fairly spicy arrival, mostly on notes of white pepper, maybe some pickled ginger. But there’s so much fruit here as well. Guava, lychee, pink grapefruit. Water adds a creamier, custard-y note and a touch of banana.
Finish: Medium length. The spices remain present. Some leafy bitterness as well. Fruits appear on the backend.
Littlemill 1990 34 Years 2nd Edition – The Dutch Trilogy’ (49.6%, OB, C#15/74-8)
Nose: Pretty intensely sherried, but at the same time the Littlemill character isn’t completely lost. There’s a combination of darker, dried fruits and the more trademark tropical notes from Littlemill. And then also some fresh berries thrown into the mix. There are some softer cocoa notes, and maybe there’s a touch of leather, but otherwise this stays mostly in the fruit aisle.
Taste: Rather a creamy mouthfeel. There are some tropical notes, but they’re subdued by the sherry influence. Warming baking spices go hand in hand with damp oak, oranges, a sliver of mint and dark, gently roasted fruits. Hints of pralines as well, tobacco and herbal teas as well.
Finish: Medium to long. The tropical notes linger surprisingly, fighting their way back.