The oldest licensed distillery in Scotland witnessed the end of an era for whisky investment, as its very last bottle of whisky was sold at a Singapore auction to raise money for the country’s first food bank.
The Littlemill Testament Special Edition, dubbed Testament To The Past part of the very last distillation from the long-closed distillery in October 1976, sold for roughly £20,000 (S$35,000), over double its recommended retail price.
The whisky itself has had a somewhat unique history, with it being ultimately recasked in 1996 into hogsheads made from American oak, before being matured in Oloroso sherry hogsheads and finally sat for four months before the four final bottles were filled in 2020.
It is somewhat fitting for the last whisky from such a former institution to have a particularly unique upbringing. Littlemill Distillery was the first which was licensed by the Scottish Government in 1772.
In 1823, it was the first distillery to have a female licensee, and in the 1930s would have one of the first stills that could produce three different types of single malt whisky.
However, it would struggle throughout the 20th century to maintain stable ownership, being mothballed twice, once from 1929 to 1931, and once from 1984 to the end of the decade.
It would close for good in 1994 after its final owner, Gibson International, went bankrupt. What was left was sold to famed distillery Loch Lomand Whiskies, with the casks moved and the original buildings dismantled and later burned down by 2004.
Testament to the Past, from its initial casking to its final release changed hands three times and this explains its somewhat unique heritage, casking, aroma and flavour, maintaining a surprisingly fresh and fruit-filled palate.
The case itself has components made from fragments from the original distillery, including a door stopper made from salvage from the distillery manager’s house, as well as a pair of authentic 18th century Georgina wine glasses.