Littlemill

Brand
Scotland

Whiskies (693)

693 Littlemill whiskies are currently listed on Whiskybase.

Price ranges

25
20
15
10
5
0
€0 - 49
(2)
€50 - 149
(5)
€150 - 249
(4)
€250 - 499
(14)
€500 - 999
(14)
€1000+
(24)

Contact

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Address

Scotland

About Littlemill

Littlemill whisky is the legacy of one of Scotland’s oldest licensed distilleries, which ceased production in 1994 and was later dismantled. Although the distillery no longer exists, the Littlemill name continues to be used for official bottlings and occasional releases from remaining casks. These are typically managed and released by Loch Lomond Group, which owns the brand and remaining stock.


Lowlands

Region Lowlands
Country Scotland
Distillery Status Demolished
Production Type Single Malt
Brands Produced Here Dumbuck, Dunglass, Littlemill

Timeline

Littlemill distillery is established (license granted in 1773), often claimed to be Scotland’s first legal distillery 

1772

Duncan Thomas

After a period of closure, Duncan Thomas purchases Littlemill and introduces innovative distilling practices (switching to double distillation and installing hybrid stills)

1931

Reopened by Gibson International, giving Littlemill a brief revival before shutting again in 1994 

1989

Loch Lomond Group

Loch Lomond Group begins releasing Littlemill single malts from remaining stocks, starting with a 25-Year-Old Private Cellar Edition (distilled 1989) 

2015

Jane MacGregor

Jane MacGregor serves as licensee, one of the first women to run a Scotch whisky distillery

1823

Closed

Littlemill is closed by owners (then Argyll Group) amid a market downturn 

1984

Fire

 A fire destroys the derelict distillery buildings, making Littlemill truly a “silent” distillery in perpetuity 

2004

Celestial 40-Year-Old

The Littlemill “Celestial” 40-Year-Old (distilled 1977) is unveiled as the distillery’s oldest official bottling, limited to 250 decanters worldwide 

2019

Timeline

1772

Littlemill distillery is established (license granted in 1773), often claimed to be Scotland’s first legal distillery 

1823

Jane MacGregor

Jane MacGregor serves as licensee, one of the first women to run a Scotch whisky distillery

1931

Duncan Thomas

After a period of closure, Duncan Thomas purchases Littlemill and introduces innovative distilling practices (switching to double distillation and installing hybrid stills)

1984

Closed

Littlemill is closed by owners (then Argyll Group) amid a market downturn 

1989

Reopened by Gibson International, giving Littlemill a brief revival before shutting again in 1994 

2004

Fire

 A fire destroys the derelict distillery buildings, making Littlemill truly a “silent” distillery in perpetuity 

2015

Loch Lomond Group

Loch Lomond Group begins releasing Littlemill single malts from remaining stocks, starting with a 25-Year-Old Private Cellar Edition (distilled 1989) 

2019

Celestial 40-Year-Old

The Littlemill “Celestial” 40-Year-Old (distilled 1977) is unveiled as the distillery’s oldest official bottling, limited to 250 decanters worldwide 

Littlemill’s operation saw many ups and downs over the centuries. After a rebuild in 1875, it closed in 1929 until Duncan Thomas’s revival in 1931 brought it back to life with his modern techniques. The distillery later changed hands to Barton Distilling and then Argyll Group, which shut Littlemill during an industry downturn in 1984. A final brief chapter came when Gibson International reopened Littlemill from 1989 to 1994, but bankruptcy forced its closure and the stills fell silent once more. The site was largely dismantled by 1997, and a tragic fire in 2004 destroyed the remaining historic buildings– ending any hopes of revival. Fortunately, some casks of Littlemill’s whisky survived in storage, and in recent years the Loch Lomond Group (the last owner) has released several sought-after bottlings from this “ghost” distillery. These include the Private Cellar editions (25-year and 27-year-old expressions) and the ultra-aged Littlemill 40-Year-Old Celestial Edition, the oldest Littlemill release to date. Such whiskies have been lauded for preserving Littlemill’s gentle Lowland character – with notes of vanilla, floral honey, and soft fruit evident in the glass– offering today’s enthusiasts a historic taste of this long-lost distillery.

Price ranges

25
20
15
10
5
0
€0 - 49
(2)
€50 - 149
(5)
€150 - 249
(4)
€250 - 499
(14)
€500 - 999
(14)
€1000+
(24)

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