Canada's single malt whiskey from Glenora

The Glenora Distillery is Canada's single malt whiskey

Canada's single malt whiskey is distilled at the Glenora Distillery & Inn on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. In addition to being a whiskey distillery, Glenora also has the Glenora Distillery Pub and a restaurant with some of the best cuisine on the island. With great taste, a paradise for whiskey lovers and friends of culinary travel has been created in the valley of the McLellan River near the small town of Glenville not far from Mabou on Cape Breton, which is unparalleled in Nova Scotia and all of Canada.

For us as enjoyment travel bloggers, it is a compulsory stop on our journey through Nova Scotia's largest island. We take half a day and spend the night there, which is good. So, on a tour of the distillery, we learn how to make whiskey in Canada, learn more about the history of the distillery, and then have time to enjoy the beautiful grounds.

 

 

Why does whiskey go well with Nova Scotia?

The idea of ​​distilling whiskey in Canada actually only came up Cape Breton Island an island where Gaelic is more spoken than in Scotland itself. The island lured in the first half of the 19. Century. Afterwards, many Gaelic-speaking Catholics came out Scotlandwho cultivate their cultural heritage until today. Fiddle music, Scottish clans, kitchen parties and tap dancing are just as much a part of this as a good glass of golden whiskey. Therefore, it is not far fetched to burn on Cape Breton whiskey.

Bruce Jardine from the tiny town of Glenville loved whiskey and he dared to adventure. Bubbling brooks flow through the gentle hills of his home. The McLellan Brook provides the perfect water to make whiskey from. At first, Jardine knew nothing about distilling the "Uisce Beatha", the water of life. That's what whiskey is affectionately called in Gaelic. He therefore traveled to the island of Islay in Scotland, where he found support for his plans at one of the country's most renowned whiskey distilleries, the Bowmore Distillery. With the help of experienced whiskey distillers, Jardine built his still in the hills of his home.

The two stills and two giant copper pots that make up Glenora Whiskey, Canada's Single Malt Whiskey, are from Bowmore. Its experts also provided the knowledge to make Glenora a successful whiskey distillery.

 

 

Canada's whiskey is made from barley at the Glenora Distillery

Canada's single malt whiskey is made from malted barley. It is burned twice, and matured in oak barrels for several years. The barley gets the distillery from other parts of the country. There they are malted according to the strict guidelines of Glenora. In winter, the time of burning is in Glenora. Then you mash the malt, mix it with the fresh water of the McLellan Brook and cook it until the sugar dissolves. The wort is separated from the waste and made into yeast with yeast. Thereafter, the liquid is distilled twice in the stills.

The condensate has an alcohol content between 65 and 70% after the second firing cycle and is filled into American Bourbon barrels, where it ripens for several years. It loses about 2% of the content per year, which evaporates through the pores of the wood. To give the whiskey its final flavor, it ripens for years in sherry, rum, port wine or wine barrels, before being finally bottled. Before that, add more water to reduce the alcohol content to drinkable 40-46%.

 

 

In 2000 there was the first whiskey from Canada in the Glenora Distillery

It took several years for the first bottles of Canada's single malt whiskey to be bottled in Glenora. In the year 2000 it was time: 12.000 bottles were offered, of which almost half were ordered before the sale. However, the first bottles of Glen Breton Rare were numbered, signed and packed in wooden boxes, and over the years become coveted collector's items. There are now nine-year and ten-year whiskeys from the Glenora distillery. The Wine Enthusiast Magazine even counts the Glen Breton Rare among the 50 top fires in the world.

 

 

How to produce Canada whiskey

During the guided tour of the distillery we are told how the whiskey is made. In order to see the process, you have to come here in winter, because only during the winter months, the actual burning process takes place. We also do not see the bearing of the old whiskey barrels in the lead. This is located elsewhere. Instead, we can taste Canada's single malt whiskey. It runs rough down our throat and is not as mild as the three times distilled Irish whiskey, but it tastes good and warms quickly from the inside.

 

 

 

Glenora also offers a beautiful environment

Before settling down for dinner at the Glenora restaurant, we'll take a walk around the grounds, which today includes a hotel and well-kept gardens alongside the distillery, through which the McLellan Brook flows. With great taste, they have created an ensemble that not only invites to tasting Canada's single malt whiskey, but to a restful stay, in which the Scottish Spirit Cape Bretons can be enjoyed in a very pleasant way.

 

Wonderful Lobster Trio

 

How about a glass of whiskey in the evening?

At the end of the day, Canada's single malt whiskey should of course not be missed. It forms the perfect end to our delicious dinner, which we enjoy in the Glenora restaurant: A lobster trio for starters with lobster salad, sushi and lobster wonton, a wonderful tuna, the freshest fish of the day, and almond-coated chicken. Here we enjoy the best dinner on our tour of Cape Breton. And we call you an enthusiastic "Slainte" - "Cheers" - with the great whiskey from Glenora! You can also enjoy it in the Glenora Distillery Pub.

---

Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

Getting to Glenora Distillery:

Arrival by plane, bus or train*. Air Canada, Lufthansa, Condor and Icelandair fly from Germany to airports in eastern Canada.

Glenora Distillery & Inn
13727 Route 19
Glenville, Nova Scotia

Hotels near Glenora Distillery:

Hotels along this route * and on Cape Breton Island * you can, for example, book through our partner booking.com.

Camper Rentals:

Book your motorhome here.

---

 

 

Do you know this?

• Cape Breton in the footsteps of the Scots
• Acadia on the Cabot Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia
• Enjoy typical Scottish food and drink
• Glenfiddich Whiskey - in family hands since 1887
• Hotel in the center of Dublin
• Enjoy the Principality of Liechtenstein - where is that possible?
• Cabot Trail
• Charlottetown PEI Restaurants - Potatoes and Shellfish
• A visit to the pub
• Ottawa Winterlude
• Ottawa Winterlude hotels

You can find further travel tips on culinary and enjoyment in ours TravelWorldOnline.

You can also find tips on wine and drinks at Wine tourism - wine regions.

Source Glenora Inn & Distillery: Local research. We would definitely like to thank Tourism Nova Scotia for inviting us on this trip. However, our opinions remain our own.

Text Glenora Inn & Distillery: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos Glenora Distillery Pub: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline