Glenora is a distillery in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia (New Scotland), Canada, an area where many Scottish immigrants settled early in Canada’s history. Like many people on that end of the country, they don’t do things like all the other Canadians. Rather than make blended stuff like all the other distilleries, they started making single malt in the 90s, the first in North America to do so. They also use authentic copper pot stills and mash tuns from Scotland. It’s pretty much the most Scotch-like whisky you can find not made in Scotland. Here are reviews of some of their main product line.

Glen Breton 10 – 43% ABV

at my wife’s uncle’s place and I saw he had the glen breton… I’ve had it at work where we’re working on a whisky bacon that uses this whisky as flavouring. I really should try it and see how it is as a spirit…. The bacon review will come some other time.

• Appearance: uncoloured whisky in Canada, what??!
• Nose: sweet, very floral, honey, apples, some oak.
• Palate: honey, molasses, caramel. Oaky vanilla. Cinnamon flavoured applesauce. Very tasty. Spicy. Grassy.
• Finish: moderate length and sweet.
• Score: 85/100

Very nice. If I didn’t know this was Canadian I would guess it was a highland scotch. Wouldn’t pay what they ask for it but it’s a really nice simple dram. Score reflects my surprise at a Canadian whisky tasting this good :p

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Glen Breton 12 Ice Wine Cask – 43%

I received this in a swap with /u/wdmc-905 a while back but hadn’t gotten around to it yet. I was a big fan of the Glen Breton 10 the first time I tried it, less of a fan in subsequent experiences with it. curious to see what an ice wine finish does to the spirit.

• Appearance: pale yellow straw
• Nose: highland-esque maltiness, apples, cereal, some sugar, floral pear, honey, caramel
• Palate: continues to be very highland or speyside like in the malt, plus a ton of fresh apples, honey, and some sweet sugary notes. Caramel, cereal, more fruit, slight bitterness. Nothing I’d specifically say is the influence of the ice wine.
• Finish: sweet and bitter finish
• Score: 82

if you gave it to me and said it was a speyside or highland, I’d believe you. If it were a highland, I’d probably rate it lower than this too, just because the surprise of it coming from Canada is a bonus. overall it’s not bad, but i wouldn’t buy a bottle of it.

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Glen Breton 15 Battle of the Glen – 43%

Again at the wife’s uncle’s place and he was recently out in Nova Scotia and picked up another Glen Breton. Thought I’d give it a shot to turn this into a review series. Served in a Canadian spirit glass, crystal blown in Nova Scotia crystal, Halifax. you can see the maple leaf on it.

• Appearance: apple juice colour, no colouring added
• Nose: Apples. Grassy. Malty. Pears. Sweet.
• Palate: Hotter than expected, Apple, grassy, sweet. Sour. Sugary. Some bitterness. Honey. Molasses. Caramel.
• Finish: long and sweet
• Score: 81

Nice. Decent canadian single malt. Doesn’t show it’s age and is quite hot. Would like a bit more oak to show.