Review by: The Muskox

Here’s another whisky review I wrote up ages ago – this Littlemill was part of a ghost distillery tasting back in April. Unlike the Coleburn, I didn’t have any left to pour again this week, but my notes from the tasting were already finished.

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Distillery: Littlemill.

Bottler: Douglas Laing.

Region: Lowlands.

ABV: 55.4%. Cask strength.

Age: 19 years. Distilled in March 1990. Bottled in March 2009.

Cask type: Single cask, no type listed.

Price: N/A, sample.

Color: 0.2, Pale straw. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Volatile. Strange sweetness – fake vanilla extract, stale cookies, fruit liqueurs, candied cherries, bubblegum, Swiss Miss hot cocoa… it’s almost like a single grain whisky. Or, is it like a rye? Herbal flavours, star anise, and green woodiness. Plywood, glue, corn tortillas. Almond and hazelnuts. A little briny.

Palate: Thick texture, with a kombucha-like effervescence. Arrives with sappy green wood, violets, overripe orchard fruit, and heavy cream. The development brings strong oak, chalk cliffs, and a certain butteriness. There’s that corn tortilla note again. Turns light and estery on the back end, strawberries and gin, orange soda.

Finish: Medium-long. Strongly effervescent and candy-ish here. Banana Runts, Sour Patch Kids, violets, icing-sugar-dusted marshmallows, and those Popeye candy cigarettes that are somehow still sold to children. Dusty warehouse and old leather. Strawberry syrup and more heavy cream. 

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Wonka’s unfinished basement”

Conclusion: That’s a weirdo. The nose is very freaky, reminiscent some of the way-too-young American/Canadian single malts I’ve had the displeasure of running into. That said, the thick texture and strange combination of effervescence and creaminess make this a fun dram to sip. At least if you like candy to the degree that I do. I think I just don’t like Littlemill?

Final Score: 73.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.