Littlemill

Littlemill stood at Bowling, on the north bank of the Clyde just west of Glasgow, and is often listed among the oldest distilleries in Scotland, with 1772 the date usually given. It stopped production in 1994, was dismantled soon after, and a fire in 2004 destroyed most of what was left. Today it is a closed distillery, and every bottle comes from a finite stock of old casks.

The distillery was known for experimenting with its stills. For part of its history it used stills fitted with rectifying columns, and it also produced spirit under other names, such as Dumbuck and Dunglass. Littlemill was long associated with triple distillation, in the Lowland tradition, giving a light spirit.

Younger Littlemill had a mixed reputation, but long-aged casks, especially from around 1988 to 1992, are now admired for their fruit, often tropical, with herbal and waxy notes. The brand and remaining stocks belong to Loch Lomond Group, which has released very old official bottlings in small numbers.

Much of what buyers meet comes from independent bottlers. In our catalogue these include Berry Bros. & Rudd (Berrys'), Gordon & MacPhail (Connoisseurs Choice), Douglas Laing (Old Malt Cask), Hunter Laing (Old & Rare Platinum), That Boutique-y Whisky Company and The Vintage Malt Whisky Company, alongside older single cask releases from the 1960s to the early 1990s. As stocks shrink, prices for these vintages tend to be high.