To mark what would have been Littlemill Distillery’s 250th anniversary this year, a 45-year-old whisky will be released. The 45-year-old Scotch will be the oldest release from Littlemill to date, and only 250 bottles will be available. Bottled at 41.8% ABV, Littlemill 45 Years Old will be available from 22 August.
Founded in 1772 in Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, the distillery was destroyed in a fire in 2004. Since then, Loch Lomond Group master blender Michael Henry has watched over the remaining whisky casks.
To celebrate the release, photographer Stefan Sappert has collaborated with Loch Lomond Group to create 250 silver-on-black glass photographic plates. The plates are stored beneath the decanter, and depict images of the River Clyde, which runs close to the closed Littlemill site. Each plate is individually numbered and unique; they each contain Sappert’s signature and fingerprints on the back.
Sappert said: “The art of whisky making is fascinating. Like wet plate photography, it captures a moment that requires an equal amount of patience, dedication, passion and, most importantly, time. I work with an old wooden camera and a historic lens that is over 160 years old. The result is not just a digital image, but a genuine piece of art.”