2023 L.A. Spirits Awards Glen Breton Rare 19 Year Old as Best North American Single Malt

Glenora Distillery, the celebrated Canadian distillery nestled in the captivating Cape Breton Highlands of Nova Scotia, proudly announces its remarkable achievement of winning the prestigious Best In Show award in the North American Single Malt Whisky category at the 2023 L.A. Spirits Awards.

The L.A. Spirits Awards, renowned for its discerning recognition of excellence in the spirits industry, has bestowed this coveted honour upon Glenora Distillery for its exceptional 19 Year Old Single Malt Whisky. This accolade serves as a resounding testament to the distillery's unwavering commitment to quality, masterful craftsmanship, and the timeless art of whisky-making.

Glenora Distillery's unwavering pursuit of excellence finds its deepest roots in its rich heritage and the awe-inspiring landscapes of the Cape Breton Highlands in Nova Scotia, Canada. Drawing inspiration from the time-honoured traditions of Scottish whisky-making, the distillery proudly employs authentic Scottish stills from Scotland, dedicating itself wholeheartedly to the cherished craft's traditions. This unique fusion seamlessly marries Old World charm with New World innovation, firmly establishing Glenora Distillery as a shining beacon of whisky craftsmanship in North America.

The Best In Show award at the L.A. Spirits Awards stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of the entire Glen Breton Rare team, including the instrumental role played by Master Distiller Daniel MacLean, whose expertise and passion have been instrumental in upholding the brand's legacy.

"We are profoundly honoured to receive the Best In Show award for North American Single Malt Whisky at the L.A. Spirits Awards," stated Lauchie MacLean, President at Glenora Distillery. "This recognition reaffirms our steadfast commitment to crafting exceptional whiskies that resonate with both connoisseurs and enthusiasts alike. We eagerly anticipate sharing this remarkable achievement with our community, with full confidence that it will further enhance our brand's illustrious legacy and deeply resonate with whisky aficionados."

Triple Triumph - 3 awards for Glen Breton Rare

A Triple Triumph for Glen Breton

Glen Breton, the flagship brand of Glenora Distillery, has once again demonstrated its prowess in the global whisky arena by clinching a triple win at the esteemed Whiskies of the World Awards. This year, the distillery's exceptional Glen Breton Ice 10 Year Old Canadian Single Malt was awarded a prestigious Gold medal, while the Glen Breton Rare 14-Year-Old and 19 Year Old Canadian Single Malt Whiskies each received Silver, underscoring the brand's consistent quality and innovation in whisky making.

The Whiskies of the World Awards, a globally recognized whisky competition, annually brings together a diverse range of whiskies to be judged by a panel of leading tastemakers and influencers in the beverage industry. The competition evaluates entries on a 100-point scale, focusing on aromatics, flavour, and finish. Glen Breton's achievement in this rigorous contest is a testament to their dedication to excellence in every aspect of whisky production.

"We are thrilled and honoured by this recognition at the Whiskies of the World Awards," said Lauchie MacLean, President of Glenora Distillery. "These awards are a reflection of our commitment to crafting whiskies of the highest calibre. The Gold for our Glen Breton Ice 10-Year-Old and the two Silver medals for our 14 and 19-Year-Old Rare whiskies are not just wins for Glen Breton but for the entire Canadian whisky community."

Glen Breton's Ice 10 Year Old, the gold medal recipient, is a testament to the distillery's innovative spirit and mastery in whisky making. The Silver medalists, Glen Breton Rare 14 and 19 Year Old, represent the pinnacle of Glen Breton's craftsmanship and the rich heritage of Canadian single malt whisky.

What's in a name? Here is the story of a long battle over a seemingly innocent word, "Glen"

What's in a name? Here is the story of a long battle over a seemingly innocent word, "Glen."

The story begins in 1999 when our whisky, the first single malt whisky in North America, was ready for release. Produced in a small rural community in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, it had been a long 8 years since that first cask was distilled. Making whisky is a long and expensive process. Glenora Distillery had seen many ups and downs since 1991 but finally it was time to get the whisky to market.

Deliberations began in regard to a name - what to name this unique whisky? Certainly we wanted to reference our home, our island, our community. Many ideas were bantered back and forth, but the one name that seemed to stick was "Glen Breton." "Glen" is a reference to our community of Glenville, the name of our distillery, and the nearby Glenora Falls; "Breton" is a salute to beautiful Cape Breton Island. And so we began the process to trademark the name "Glen Breton Rare."

In 2000, the first Glen Breton Whisky was released .Shortly after that initial release, the label and box were redesigned to feature a bright red maple leaf on the label and box, telling the world we were Canadian and proud of it. A lot of time, effort, and money went in to promoting the new brand in Canada and the world. Marketing Glen Breton as a Canadian Single Malt Whisky, we were off to the races.

But then a speed bump arose. In 2001 the Scotch Whisky Association objected to our Canadian trademark application for "Glen Breton Rare", saying the use of the word "Glen" would confuse the consumer into thinking that our single malt whisky was Scotch, a term used strictly for single malt whisky made in Scotland. A media frenzy followed in newspapers, magazines, online newsletters, forums, and blogs. Our small distillery was a hot topic amongst both the international and local communities.

Thus was the beginning of a battle fought with pen, ink, and paper. The filing of legal documents for both sides were extensive. Years passed.

It wasn't until January 2007 when we had our day in court. The Canadian Trademark Commission agreed with Glenora, saying the Scotch Whisky Association failed to prove its case that our name was misleading. It was time to celebrate! Another media frenzy ensued and many more articles were written, toasts were given.

But it was short-lived. An appeal was quickly filed and subsequently won by the Scotch Whisky Association in the summer of 2008. Again the media picked up the story, but this time it was a hard pill to swallow. We were faced with the strong possibility we would have to re-brand this whisky we put so much money, time, heart and soul into. We had one last chance we had to take - another appeal, this time filed by us.

In 2009, our appeal won - the trademark could be registered.

There was only one more possible roadblock- an appeal by the SWA to the Supreme Court of Canada. On June 11, 2009 the Supreme Court dismissed the appeal, with costs.

It took nine years, but we were finally able to have Victory in the Glen.

One year later in June 2009, we released our 15 year old Canadian Single Malt Whisky called "Battle of the Glen." The box features many of the newspaper clippings that were printed about our battle over the years; a battle between a small whisky distillery and a powerful organization.

Fast forward 13 years to June 2022 - here we are, still on the road, moving straight ahead and faster than ever.

Glen Breton wins GOLD at 2022 San Francisco World Spirits Competition

Glen Breton Whisky is pleased to announce it is a proud winner of 2 Gold Medals at 22nd Annual San Francisco World Spirits Contest.

Known as one of the world's most prestigious and largest spirits contests in the world, the San Francisco World Spirits Contests (SFWSC) is noted for the quality of its 70 judges, which come together from around the world to blindly taste and select the best spirits in the world based on their pristine spirits expertise. Each winning spirit brand was tested and anonymously chosen based on flavor composition and smoothness. "We're proud to be recognized as an award-winning whisky brand by the world's biggest spirits awards group. To be chosen as the best Single Malt for our 10 Year Old and 14 Year Old Whiskies is a huge accomplishment for Glen Breton and we're grateful for the recognition," said Lauchie MacLean, President and CEO of Glenora Distillery.

Barley Prices To Be Impacted Due To Ukraine conflict

The ongoing conflict in Ukraine could lead to surging barley prices, according to a United Breweries spokesperson speaking to industry news outlet, BusinessLine. Increases could add to already sky-high inflation resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, government borrowing and supply chain disruption. Prices of beer and international whiskeys are, therefore, likely to rise further.

Ukraine accounts for roughly 20 percent of the world’s barley production, with much of its output being used to produce liquor. With the country in conflict, the price will start to rise. If Ukrainians are unable to sow the barley crop for next year or ship current stock stored in silos, then futures will go up and prices paid by consumers will increase next season.

Large companies are already looking for ways to reduce the impact of the conflict. United Breweries, for instance, is attempting to mitigate the effects of the Russian military action through a combination of sensible price increases, cost control, supply chain optimization and productivity improvements. Already, there are conversations between brewers and state governments about how they can improve conditions for producers to shield consumers from large price rises.

Other grains, such as wheat, have also seen tremendous increases in price since the Ukraine offensive began on February 23. Before the conflict, prices were hovering around $7.50 per bushel (already higher than the historical average), but have since spiked to more than $12.94, a rise of more than 70 percent in a month according to the Chicago Board of Trade.

Both Russia and Ukraine are both large barley supplies. The former is responsible for around 18.0 million tonnes and the latter for 9.4 million tonnes of the global total of 147 million tonnes. The EU is a large producer, producing more than 52 million tonnes annually, but it does not have a large surplus, unlike Russia. Canada could potentially increase barley production, but it may take farmers several years to adjust to the supply shock, if it is permanent.

Some liquor companies are attempting to sidestep higher prices by using other grains. Beer companies, for instance, might begin marketing beers made from hops or other fermentable material.

However, because Ukraine is the “breadbasket” of the world, substitutions may be difficult to come by. Despite being relatively small in terms of land area, Ukraine is responsible for 16 percent of the world’s corn output, meaning switching to different ingredients in whiskey mash may be challenging. Corn prices are likely to go up alongside wheat.

There are other considerations too. Shipping from the Black Sea is likely to become more expensive over the coming months as the dangers increase. The price of shifting a 40-foot container from the port of Odessa has risen from just $10,000 before the conflict to more than $40,000.

Glen Breton gets its barley from Western Canada, so Ukraine supply issues shouldn’t cause direct problems. However, if global prices rise, so too will local barley prices, and that could affect the price of whiskey in the future. 

Make-at-Home Mock Haggis - Chef Patrick and the Kilted Chef make an easy version of this traditional dish

Haggis, the national dish of Scotland, is traditionally made of the liver, heart & lungs of a sheep, minced with beef or mutton, seasoned then packed into a sheep’s stomach and boiled. Here in Atlantic Canada, that’s not something you’ll find on the average dinner table. We love celebrating traditional meals by putting our own unique spin on it. This mock haggis recipe features easy to find ingredients, is simple to make at home and doesn’t require a sheep’s stomach! It’s also finished with a sweet whiskey sauce making it very Atlantic Canadian.

Make at Home Mock Haggis

Ingredients

1 tbsp butter
1 onion diced
1/2 tsp pepper
3/4 tsp coriander
3/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp thyme
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 pound ground lamb
1/2 lb chicken liver
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup rolled oats

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°

2. Melt butter in a pan over medium heat, add onion and cook until softened, about 5
   minutes.

3. Meanwhile remove any fatty or tough pieces from the chicken liver and roughly chop.

4. Add all spices to the onions and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.

5. Add the lamb and the chicken livers, cook until browned then add the stock, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

6. Add rolled oats, mix well and transfer to an oven safe dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the lid and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

7. Serve with mashed potatoes and turnips and top with Glen Breton whiskey sauce.

• Prep Time: 10

• Cook Time: 60

GLEN BRETON WHISKY SAUCE

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
3 shallots, diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley
2oz Glen Breton whiskey
1 cup whipping cream
2 oz maple syrup

Instructions

1. In a medium size pan melt the butter, saute the shallots and the parsley until the shallots are
   translucent.

2. Add whisky and scrape the pan to deglaze, simmer for 2 minutes.

3. Add whipping cream and maple syrup. Simmer until the sauce is reduce by 25%.

Make Lobster Gnocchi at home - Chef Patrick and The Kilted Chef Cook one of Glenora’s signature dishes

If you have ever tried our Lobster Gnocchi, you will know it’s an amazing creation by Chef Patrick MacIsaac. Watch as he and The Kilted Chef make it at home.

Lobster Gnocchi with Glen Breton Whisky

Recipe by Chef Patrick MacIsaac, Glenora Distillery

Chef Patrick’s Smoked Tomato Sauce

20 halved Roma tomatoes that have been smoked for 45 min....(use tinned and liquid smoke if not possible.)

6 whole cloves garlic

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1/2 cup fresh basil

3 sliced shallots

2 tbs fresh oregano

1 tbs fresh tarragon

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

2 cups diced onions

1 bay leaf

Keep tomatoes to one side.

In a decent size stock pot sweat all ingredients including bay leaf in some olive oil. cook till tender and light brown..deglaze with half cup of white wine...reduce by half..add tomatoes and cook reduce on med heat .puree with hand blender and strain thru med sized sieve salt and pepper to taste.

GNOCCHI

3 large boiled potato..russet Burbank works good.

1 egg 1 yolk

salt and pepper

1 tbs fresh chopped parsley

1 tbs fresh chopped chives

flour

Ya gotta rice your potatoes! Take cool riced potatoes ...mix eggs herbs salt and pepper together by hand add flour untill its a bit dryer than biscuit dough.

Roll out a snake of the dough and cut about 1/2 inch long and place into boiling salted water allow to float for a minute. Remove from water and place on a oiled pan to cool.

And a saute pan nice and hot add olive oil 4 oz of lobster, little bit of green onions, 2 oz Glenn Breton whisky, then 4 oz ladle of the tomato sauce finish with grated Parmesan cheese cook for a few minutes toss in 4 oz of gnocchi garnish with Parmesan cheese and a bit of pancetta.