Apparantly this is the first Littlemill review here on Whiskylifestyle. Which in itself is quite strange since I have tasted quite a few Littlemills last year. So expect many more to come. But first we sit down with this Littlemill 26 year old from independent bottler Hunter Laing. Bottled for the Old & Rare series.
This Littlemill has matured in a refill hogshead and is bottled at 53,5% ABV. Only 75 bottles were available.
Littlemill 26 year old tasting notes:
Nose: Vanilla. A whiff of smoke, oddly enough. A hint of pears, green apples. Also a little mineral-like. This is followed by some fresh citrus and pomegranate. When I add water it becomes fresher. The smoke is gone. It’s a bit grassy, and the fruits are still here.
Taste: Hmmm weird. Smoke again and even more than the nose suggests. That’s not what I’m used of Littlemill. Sweet bananas. Some vanilla here. And also a layer of honey. Quite sweet actually, but the smoke keeps on going. Later a bit bitter, grapefruit bitter. Minerals too. With water: the smoke dissapears. And it becomes more fruity. Pears, green grapes and apples.
Finish: The finish is mid-long with mostly grapefruit and again smoke.
Ok, this is weird. This is the first time I detect smoke in a Littlemill. And quite a lot in the taste too. It’s very different from other Littlemills. But when you add water, the smoke dissapears and you get to see more of the Littlemill character. And interesting one and not bad at all, but certainly not the best Littlemill I’ve tasted.
