Glen Breton Rare
Encyclopedia
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
single malt whisky
Single malt whisky
Single malt whisky is a whisky made at one particular distillery from a mash that uses one particular malted grain, which is ordinarily barley.Single malts are typically associated with Scotland, though they are also produced in various other countries...
. It is distilled and produced by Glenora Distillers
Glenora Distillers
Glenora Distillers is a distiller based in Glenville, Nova Scotia, Canada . Their most prominent product is Glen Breton Rare, the only Scottish-style single malt whisky made in Canada, which has been the subject of a trademark suit over the use of the word glen...
of Glenville, Inverness County, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
.
Information
Created by Glenora Distillers, the whisky's name was put into question before it had ever sold a bottle. The Scotch Whisky AssociationScotch Whisky Association
The Scotch Whisky Association is a trade organisation that represents the Scotch whisky industry. The Scotch whisky industry is an important part of the Scottish economy, and particularly the Scottish export market.-Structure:...
(SWA), a firm representing 57 different Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
companies from Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, felt that the whisky from the village of Glenville, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, on Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island
Cape Breton Island is an island on the Atlantic coast of North America. It likely corresponds to the word Breton, the French demonym for Brittany....
, was misleading potential international buyers by using the term "Glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...
" in its name—a term used almost exclusively on Scotch whisky labels. The word "Glen" is not uniquely a Scottish one - the word might even come from the Welsh language (see Glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...
) - and there are Glens all over the world, including in Cape Breton. The packaging and bottle have a large red maple leaf on them which looks very Canadian. The trademark name "Scotch" does not appear on the bottle anywhere. The distillery started production in June 1990, with bottles hitting the shelves in the early 2000s.
Around August, 2006, Glenora Distillery introduced the world's first ever single malt aged in Ice Wine barrels, from the Jost Winery of Nova Scotia. The new malt was named Glen Breton Ice. The single malt is aged 10 years and bottled at Cask Strength (57.2% alcohol). Glenora offered the bottles only at the distillery until the fall of that year, when they were commercially released.
On January 24, 2007, CBC News
CBC News
CBC News is the department within the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for the news gathering and production of news programs on CBC television, radio and online services...
reported that the Canadian Trademarks Opposition Board rejected the arguments of the Scotch Whisky Association, clearing the way for the distillery to continue to use the Glen Breton Rare label. The Scotch Whisky Association responded that the ruling was inconsistent with international case law, and that it would file an appeal.
In 2008, Glenora Distillery released an extremely rare 15-year-old version of their Glen Breton Ice Single Malt. The bottles were only available from the distillery and came with a Letter of Authenticity and a wooden box. They sold for $320.
On April 3, 2008, the Federal Court of Canada ruled in favour of the Scotch Whisky Association's demand that the word Glen be dropped from the product's name. On December 18, 2008 Glenora Distillers appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal in Ottawa and on January 22, 2009 the court overturned the lower court’s ruling.
The president of the Glenora Distillery, Lauchie MacLean, said, "It takes a big monkey off our back and financial burden, it allows us to plan and distribute and work with our agents around the world to sell our product." SWA spokesman David Williamson said that the association has 60 days in which to file and appeal and “will be studying the ruling carefully with a view to a possible appeal.”
On 11 June 2009, the Supreme Court of Canada
Supreme Court of Canada
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court of Canada and is the final court of appeals in the Canadian justice system. The court grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts, and its decisions...
refused to hear the Scotch Whisky Association's appeal of the Federal Court ruling, dismissing its application for leave to appeal with costs.
Glen Breton Rare is aged 10 years and is marketed as Canada's only single malt whisky
Single malt whisky
Single malt whisky is a whisky made at one particular distillery from a mash that uses one particular malted grain, which is ordinarily barley.Single malts are typically associated with Scotland, though they are also produced in various other countries...
. The natural water source of the distillery is MacLellan's Brook. Glen Breton Rare and Glen Breton Ice are Glenora Distillers' only bottlings of single malt whisky as of yet. The distillery is open to tours.