The Loch Lomond Group has announced the first release in a new collection of rare single malt whiskies from Littlemill, highlighting some of the final chapters of the lost distillery.

Littlemill Echoes of the Past Release Number One (48.5% ABV) is a 34 Year Old single malt Scotch whisky, distilled in 1990 during Littlemill’s final years of production. It was initially laid down to mature in a refill American oak hogshead for 25 years before being recasked into a single Oloroso Sherry barrel in 2015.

This inaugural expression in the new four-part annual series, is said to offer whisky connoisseurs and collectors the chance to experience the evolving maturation of a single Littlemill cask over time. 

To create the collection, 50 bottles will be drawn from a single maturing Oloroso sherry cask each year for four consecutive years. The remaining spirit will continue to age, deepening in flavor and complexity, with each subsequent release revealing the evolving journey of the cask as the spirit absorbs even more character from its Oloroso finish.

Founded in 1772 in Bowling, West Dunbartonshire, Littlemill was at the forefront of innovation for its time. It closed in 1994, before being lost to a fire in 2004. Since then, Master Blender, Michael Henry has held guardianship of the last remaining casks.

Michael selected the optimum moment to bottle the first release in the new Echoes of the Past collection, resulting in an exceptional 34 Year Old single malt which displays the perfect harmony of Littlemill’s distinctive summertime fruit character with classic sweet floral spice and sherried notes.

Commenting on the launch, Michael Henry, said: “Each sip of Littlemill presents a remarkable opportunity to experience a taste of the distillery’s history and opens a window to its extraordinary past. The Echoes of the Past Collection offers a new and unique opportunity for whisky connoisseurs to take a different kind of journey back to the final years of the distillery’s production, allowing them to experience an Oloroso finishing on a Littlemill malt at different ages.”

He went on to say: “Though Littlemill distillery is lost to history, this cask carries its legacy forward, evolving with time. To witness its continuing journey of maturation and flavour over four releases is to glimpse a past that still lives on.”

The whisky comes housed in an individually numbered Glencairn decanter with intricate engraving depicting the details of the single malt. Each cabinet also contains a 50ml miniature and a certificate of ownership.

Littlemill Echoes of the Past Release Number One will be available later this month from select specialist retailers, for a RRP of £3,900.