Littlemill ghost distillery pours out a spooky 47-year old single malt whiskey in time for Halloween

If you’re looking for a spooky addition to your drinks cabinet this Halloween, consider a new release from the Littlemill ghost distillery, the Vanguards Collection Chapter 2.

Now, before you get a picture in your head of sloshed spectres cracking open casks, a ‘ghost distillery’ actually refers to a distillery that’s closed its doors, but still has whisky in barrels that have been snapped up by other distillers or bottlers.

That’s the case for Littlemill, now owned by the Loch Lomond Group, and once known as Scotland’s oldest licensed distillery, founded in 1772. It closed in 1994, with a 2004 fire finally destroying its facilities once and for all.

There still enough of its good stuff knocking around though for the odd rare, new release to become available though. The Vanguards Collection Chapter 2, Jane MacGregor, expression is a 47-year-old single malt distilled in 1976, and named after the first woman known to hold a licence at a distillery. It’s aged in bourbon barrels for 20 years before spending a 27-year stretch in American oak hogshead barrels. With a 44.9% ABV, expect apples, pears, pineapple, lime, grapefruit and nutmeg in the flavour profile. A beautiful Gelncairn Crystal decanter in an ash-and-glass cabinet finishes the lavish package.

It's the second release from the Vanguards Collection — Chapter One, Robert Muir, released in 2023, a 45-year old single malt from a 1977 vintage, which spent 40 years in refill American oak and a final five years in Oloroso sherry casks. It was limited to 250 bottles.

The only thing scarier than a dram from a ghost distillery? The price tag: with only 250 numbered bottles of the Vanguards Collection Chapter 2 set to be released too, you’ll have to find £14,500 for the privilege of trying this expression out.

50-ml miniatures are also available in limited quantities, so collectors will at least be able to taste their valuable sealed investments. If you’ve got the readies to grab a bottle, you can register your interest at the Littlemill website.

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