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By: David Othenin-Girard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 11/22/2019 | Send Email
This one is a bit unfair. Littlemill falls into two categories. Gross and great. Those two categories exist under one umbrella, impossible to find. But what we don't see is great Littlemill at a seemingly sane price. Even if this weren't a closed distillery that's impossible to find I don't think this would be an absurd price to ask for a great old nearly 30 year old malt whisky, but when the owners of the brand are selling their 25 year old version for upwards of $4000, I think we can consider a 29 year old version at less than 1/10th the price a legendary deal. Also, this one TASTES great. The nose starts with tons of toasty oak, but that doesn't overwhelm the wild tropical fruit, mango, exotic spices, hints of fancy tea, savory herbs, a slight briny quality and the tiniest whiff of almond oil. The palate is zesty, totally alive, big fruit and big spice, not at all tannic or over oaked. This one only needs the tiniest drop of water, if that, to tame the toasty oak and bring out the freshness and wild fruit. An obvious choice, but also soon to be ghost.
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By: Neal Fischer | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 11/18/2019 | Send Email
Littlemill was Scotland's oldest licensed distillery, so expertise and quality can be guaranteed in their output. Sadly decommissioned in the 1990s and then lost to fire in 2004, bottles from this distillery are now treasures and time-capsules of a forgotten era in Lowland whisky-making. Leather and honey melts into toffee brittle. There's a light orchard fruit component to the nose that gets bolstered by beautiful sharp spice of cayenne, white pepper, and mace. Spice, wood, and vanilla hover in the air above the glass. The palate is zippy and tongue-tingling with bold spice and bright citrus freshness. The body is light, but there's still a rounded soft texture that's fun to roll around the mouth. The flavors stay bright and get more tropical into a medium-long finish.
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By: Jeffrey Jones | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 11/18/2019 | Send Email
A treat from a closed distillery. This is a chance to taste the excellent single malt that Littlemill was able to produce. The nose is sweet, complex and pretty. In the mouth it is complex with rich honey flavors. This single malt is light bodied and there are no smoke flavors. With a touch of water it really opens up and is fuller bodied.
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By: Stefanie Juelsgaard | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 5/30/2019 | Send Email
I know we may tend to over-use the phrase "don't miss this one" at K&L, but you it really rings true on this incredible bottling from the now closed Littlemill distillery. You will LITERALLY never see an offer like this again for this whisky. With its other age statements selling in the thousands of dollars, it's a little mind-boggling we have it for $250. Our spirits buyers truly worked their magic on this one. Though we hope to see Loch Lomond Distillery open it up again eventually, nothing can compare to what this highly sought-after distillery made 29 years ago. The nose is quite sweet, with briochy, light butterscotch notes. This continues on the palate, but with a hefty kick from spice to bring balance. This is one of the best whiskys I've had in some time and it's made all the more special knowing it will never cross my path again.
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By: Andrew Whiteley | K&L Staff Member | Review Date: 5/29/2019 | Send Email
A lively combination of sweet fruits, candied nuts, and fresh cream are readily picked up on the nose and the palate. The whisky is supremely easy to enjoy casually without much careful thought or consideration. Add to that the excitement of drinking something that can never again be produced and you have a special night. If you move past sliding dram after dram through your lips into the realm of contemplation, you'll be enchanted by a shockingly savory array of secondary characteristics. In a proper glass with lots of time to open, there develops a very pleasant mushroom/miso umami which blends perfectly with the sweeter tones of the nose and entry. It's a combination that will last in your heart and mind long after the last drops of this closed distillery are consumed.
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