Great was my excitement when I received an email from Steve (The Whisky Wire) confirming that we have been chosen to take part in the Littlemill 25 year old single malt Scotch whisky flash blog. A week or two earlier, I saw a request for bloggers who wanted to take part and responded.
Then the (long) wait began. About a week before the due date (14 Oct), I started ‘stalking’ our local Post Office. I became a regular in the queue. The man behind the counter saw me so often that he handed me the ‘Packages Received’ book as soon as I walked in.
No package arrived. The day of the Littlemill Whisky Flash Blog came and went. I read all the amazing blogs and tasting notes of the other (lucky) bloggers but left the Post Office empty-handed each time. I nearly gave up hope of ever getting our package.
And then, low and behold, a slip of paper arrived in my post box. Just before we depart for a short break away to the Drakensberg (Dragon Mountains).
It was with much excitement that I skipped into the Post Office. The man behind the counter reached for the book, but I was waving my slip of paper. I got my Littlemill 25 year old whisky sample.
Established back in 1772, this Lowland distillery fell silent in 1994 and was destroyed by a fire in 2004. The fire only left a few last barrels. Once they are consumed, there will be no more. The whisky chosen for this release was casked in 1989 and 1990, respectively.
The Littlemill 25 year old Scotch whiskywas matured in a mixture of American and European Oak and has been finished in first-fill European Oloroso Sherry casks.
Also Read: Auchentoshan American Oak Whisky
Littlemill 25 year old Whisky Review
REGION: Lowland
ABV: 50.4%
COLOUR: Golden wheat. It is quite an oily whisky.
NOSE: Notes of sherry sweetness, Christmas Pudding and candied fruit. There are hints of oak, caramel, toffee and butterscotch.
PALATE: Without water, the Littlemill 25 year old is creamy and rich with fruity sweetness, crème brûlée and spice. There are hints of nutmeg, black peppercorns and cloves. With water, the Littlemill palate releases notes of grape jam, vanilla and sultanas.
FINISH: Long and lingering and end in notes of sweet spiciness, citrus and toasted oak.
RATING: EXCELLENT
The Littlemill 25 year old single malt is a complex and robust whisky. With the beautiful golden Drakensberg in front of us and the sun setting, this dram glowed golden bright. A wonderful dram in an amazing setting. Dinner was a slow-cooked lamb potjie (lamb stew), and the 25 year old was the dessert.
Only 1500 individually numbered bottles were released. The remaining Littlemill casks are owned by the Loch Lomond Group. The Littlemill 25 year old retails for GBP 1690. (R36 500)
Also Read: The Balvenie Roasted Malt whisky