Loch Lomond Group is partnering with World Duty Free to launch a Littlemill 40yo Celestial Edition. The Celestial Edition, which is limited to 250 bottles, will be available from October and is priced at £6,000 (€6,740, US$7,820).
The 46.8% ABV expression is featured across four World Duty Free stores in selected UK airports – London Heathrow Terminal 5, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen – as part of a global launch.
The single malt whisky is presented in a hand-faceted Glencairn Crystal decanter which is numbered and finished with a brass stopper made in Glasgow. The presentation box features details of the night sky seen above Littlemill Distillery on the evening that the liquid was barrelled. Each box also contains a 5cl vial of the liquid, for those who would like to sample the whisky while keeping the bottle intact.
Loch Lomond Group said the Littlemill 40yo celebrates the work of Littlemill Owner Duncan Thomas. “[It] represents the culmination of his knowledge and experience and captures the spirit of his pioneering distilling process,” the company said.
Loch Lomond described Thomas as “a true pioneer of Scotch whisky” and highlighted his introduction of the straight-necked pot still with rectifying heads. The still enabled Thomas to create variations on each spirit he produced, allowing him to retain control of the character of the final liquid.
“This philosophy was embraced by Japanese distilleries in the East, and to mark this, the 40yo box shows the star chart on the night that the spirit was laid to rest, charting the two paths of Duncan Thomas and Japanese Whisky experimentation,” Loch Lomond added.
Loch Lomond Group Managing Director of Global Travel Retail André de Almeida said: “The Littlemill 40yo Celestial Cask has given us the opportunity to introduce Littlemill to the global travel retail channel whilst also celebrating Duncan Thomas and his important contribution to the whisky industry here in Scotland, and the wider world.
“Thanks to our partnership with World Duty Free, travellers have the chance to be part of this remarkable story and purchase this rare and highly collectible limited-edition single malt.”
World Duty Free Commercial Category Manager Kathryn Kindness commented: “We’re always looking for new and exciting limited editions to offer to our customers and we are delighted to have this exceptional whisky in our stores. Customers will have the unique opportunity to acquire the Littlemill 40yo Celestial Cask, which is sure to become an extremely sought after collector’s item across the world.”
Loch Lomond said the Littlemill distillery is regarded as one of the oldest in Scotland. It started producing whisky legally from 1772 in Bowling, on the banks of the River Clyde near Glasgow. The distillery closed in 1994 and the buildings were destroyed by fire in 2004.
Littlemill was one of the first distilleries to have a female licensee, Jane MacGregor, in 1823. In the 1930s, the distillery was known for triple distillation before moving to the more traditional double distillation now associated with Scotch whisky. In 1931, under the stewardship of the American Duncan Thomas, Littlemill was a leader in still innovation with technical designs that could create three styles of single malts from full-bodied to light.
Loch Lomond Group said those stills provided the inspiration for the opening of the Loch Lomond Distillery in the 1960s.
