I don’t have a new whisky review for you this week. Or more accurately, I do not have a review for you this week of a whisky I have not reviewed before. This is my second review of this Littlemill 24, 1990 from Alambic Classique. I posted my first review of it almost exactly two months ago. That review was based on my fourth pour from a recently opened bottle. The first couple of pours had been somewhat spirity but it had calmed down by the fourth pour with some air in the bottle and I liked it very much at the time (to the tune of 88 points). I enjoyed the next few pours as well but then it seemed to come apart in the bottle, with a bit too much acid and powdered ginger. Disappointed, I set the bottle aside for a while before giving it another go last week. And, hey presto, it had improved dramatically, and has since stayed that way as the bottle now approaches the end. And so, I figured I would do something I’ve long talked about doing more often but not actually done very much of: a re-review of the same bottle from a different time in its life. In this case the reviews are just two months apart but I’m interested to see what I make of it now just the same. I will be looking at the first review while taking my notes tonight. Here goes.

Littlemill 24, 1990 (54.2%; Alambic Classique; oloroso sherry cask; from my own bottle)

Nose: Not much of the toffee off the top now compared to on the first review; instead it leads with the orange peel and the powdered ginger. Below that are slightly yeasty and metallic notes. As it sits the nutty notes emerge. The nuts expand with a splash of water and the citrus becomes less acidic.

Palate: Comes in sweeter than the nose with some burnt leaves in the mix; still it’s a more acidic arrival than when the bottle was first open. The texture is a lot rounder now and the alcohol burn has reduced significantly. As it sits, there’s apricot and brown butter along with the citrus which gets brighter and brighter (lime). Water ties everything together really nicely.

Finish: Long. The burnt leaves and citrus keep going. No sherry separation at all now. As on the palate with time and water.

Comments: Interesting progression over the life of the bottle. It’s still very much the same complex of aromas and flavours as I noted two months ago, but the emphases and proportions have shifted. I prefer what it’s become to what it was at the time of my first review but not by very much.

Rating: 89 points.