Another Sea Life release by The Whisky Agency. Plenty of Littlemill to be found these days, distilled between 1988 and 1991. But not many refill sherry butts, as far as I know.
Littlemill 22 yo 1990 (52,2%, The Whisky Agency ‘Sea Life’ 2012, refill sherry butt, 719 btl.)
Nose: one of the grassy and varnished Littlemills, with minerals and a little wool up front. Mint as well. Less of the dried fruits or tobacco that we found in other, slightly more sherried Littlemills. Maybe this was a Fino? Hints of dry wood smoke in the background, as well as classic citrus fruits, almonds and some vanilla.
Mouth: starts fairly dry and spicy (mint, ginger). Evolves on a beautiful wave of trademark grapefruit, lemon zest, apple and soft vanilla. Again less of a fruit burst here. A few leafy notes. Then back to pepper and liquorice. Cloves.
Finish: medium long, half fruity, half grassy. A herbal end, rather dry.
Maybe not my favourite among the many Littlemills, for being grassier and a little shy on the fruits – more typically Lowlands maybe – but still a very good and rather complex whisky. Around € 120.
Score: 87/100