Whenever owners talk about fabled ghost whisky distilleries, there is always an insinuation that, given the right circumstances, it could come back to life. That is not the case for poor Littlemill. Following closure in 1994 and dismantling in 1997, a fire put paid to its remains in 2004.
While it no longer stands, it will forever remain Scotland’s oldest licensed distillery. Had it stood today, it would be celebrating its 250th year in production. To mark the milestone, the guardians of Littlemill’s remaining stocks have released its oldest whisky to date, a 45 Year Old limited to just 250 decanters.
Michael Henry, the master blender at Loch Lomond Group, is the guardian of Littlemill’s dwindling stocks and personally selected a heavily-aged whisky for the milestone. He finished the 45 Year Old in an oloroso sherry cask for six months, in keeping with the sherry-led history of the distillery. He said: “You can taste the history in every precious drop, from elderflower, chamomile and lemon zest, to the silk-like creme caramel and tart green apple, and the warming ginger and cinnamon spice finish.”
To celebrate this alignment in history, Littlemill partnered with renowned photographer Stefan Sappert to bring the two histories together. Using traditional techniques, Sappert created 250 silver on black glass plate photographs, capturing a romantic view of the River Clyde, which sits in close proximity to the distillery’s original site. Each of the 250 plates are individually numbered and signed by Sappert.
He said: “My work uses one of the oldest photographic processes that links directly to the 1770s, where the basis of creating permanent photographs was discovered and when Littlemill was founded. 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.” Bottled at 41.8% ABV, the Littlemill 45 Year Old release is just 250 decanters worldwide.
