Littlemill 29 Year Old joins Private Cellar Collection

Only 600 bottles of a 29-year-old single malt from silent Scotch whisky distillery Littlemill have been released globally, priced at £2,750 (US$3,426).

Glencairn was asked to design the decanter for Littlemill 29 Year Old

Bottled at 47.3%, Littlemill 29 Year Old is the third release in the Private Cellar Collection and was created by Loch Lomond master blender Michael Henry.

Littlemill has partnered with crystal glassware producer Glencairn to design the packaging for the release.

Each Glencairn decanter is adorned with an illustration of the River Clyde and a silver star to highlight Littlemill distillery’s location. Every bottle was hand-engraved and hand-filled.

Individually numbered, the bottles also feature a Scottish silver badge and collar, which are both branded and finished with black infill.

The decanter is then encased in a presentation box that includes a 50ml miniature of the liquid, a piece of the original Littlemill cask and a booklet detailing the history of the distillery and tasting notes from master blender Henry.

The Littlemill distillery ceased production in 1994 and was destroyed by a fire in 2004. In 2015, Loch Lomond Group launched the Littlemill Private Cellar Edition.

Henry said: “Littlemill has always represented the traditional Lowland ‘floral’ style, and over the years the distillation and maturation processes evolved to maintain this flavour profile.

“The first Private Cellar release in 2015 was designed to reflect Littlemill’s original quality and style. The second release in 2017 focussed more on the distillery influence, and by maturing the liquid in refill Bourbon casks the distilling process became the main factor in defining the whisky’s character.

“Littlemill 29-year-old, our 2019 release, focuses on the influence of wood.”

The whisky was first matured in refill Bourbon casks in 1990. Seven of these casks were then chosen, combined and finished in first-fill oloroso Sherry and Limousin oak casks.

“The oloroso Sherry adds further floral notes, similar to the traditional Sherry casks used at the Littlemill distillery, while the Limousin oak provides the European oak influence,” added Henry. “The result is unmistakably Littlemill, with delicious caramel sweetness layered with spice.”