Littlemill

If Littlemill was in operation today, then it would be Scotland's oldest single malt distillery. Sadly, it fell victim to the horrific slump that hit the Scotch whisky industry during the 1990s and ceased production forever after 220 years. Originally a renowned Lowland whisky for blending, Littlemill is now finally gaining recognition as a single malt with a special series of old and rare limited editions.

Littlemill was known for an attractive floral and grassy single malt. The light and delicate nature was typical of the Lowlands with notes of apple blossom, subtle cereals, and zesty lemon. This refreshing and vibrant style was mostly maturated in American oak ex-bourbon casks.

From the 1960s onwards, the distillery produced heavily peated malt on occasion. This was called Dumbuck. They also distilled a lightly peated version named Dunglas. Both were intended for blending purposes.

Few details remain about Littlemill's production due to the significant time since closure. Water for production and cooling was drawn from the Kirkpatrick Spring within the nearby Trossacks National Park. Littlemill was a centre for innovation from the 1930s onwards. A revolutionary new still design was installed and experimentation with spirit types and distillation techniques took place. These stills had a rectifying column at the neck, rather than the traditional lyne arm. This is more often seen in single grain production and is shown to give a lighter spirit that matures faster.

Littlemill was founded in 1772 by Gordon Buchanan. It was named after his business partner Robert Muir of Littlemill. The distillery took over old brewery buildings and was located in the village of Bowling. This is situated on the north bank of the River Clyde between Clydebank and Dumbarton.

Like most Lowland distilleries Littlemill practiced triple distillation. This is more commonly associated with Irish whiskey production rather than Scotch. But due to the large number of Irish immigrants arriving in Glasgow during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the Lowlands were a hotbed for triple distillation.

The distillery ownership changed hands numerous times over its two centuries of operation. Significant names include Matthew Clark & Co. in 1817 (they hired Scotland's first female licensee, Jane MacGregor, in 1823) and William Hay & Co. in 1875 (they totally rebuilt and expanded Littlemill). Duncan Thomas rescued the distillery in 1931 after two years of closure and was the one responsible for installing innovative new stills and equipment. Gibson International became the last official owners in 1989, taking ownership after another period of closure.

However, the distillery was closed in 1992 and Gibson International later went bankrupt. The buildings and maturing stocks moved to the Loch Lomond Group. But Littlemill was never to reopen. The distillation equipment was dismantled and sold in 1996. A fire then destroyed most of the buildings in 2004. Those that survived at the site were demolished for safety reasons.

In recent years Loch Lomond has started releasing Littlemill whisky under the Private Cellar Collection label. These single cask or small batch single malts have become some of the most desirable that Scotland has to offer. Releases include the 25 and 29 year olds, 40 year old Celestial, 1992 Vintage and 1976 Testament. Independent bottlers such as Hunter Laing and Signatory Vintage are an alternative route.