Cape Breton's Glenora Distillery is home to North America's first single malt whiskey and the distillery is celebrating their silver anniversary with a bottle as expensive as it is rare.
To mark their 25th year in business, Glenora Distillery is selling a special bottle of whiskey called Bruce Jardine Reserve, named after the man who founded the distillery.
He believed a distillery would be a perfect fit for Inverness County in Nova Scotia, a place with so much Scottish heritage.
“In 1990 they completed the buildings and made that first batch of whiskey,” says Daniel MacLean, master distiller. “They got 20 barrels out of that first batch and then ran into some financial difficulties, but we still have that whiskey.”
A bottle of Bruce Jardine Reserve will run you $750.
“There's only 192 bottles and it's been sitting in our warehouse for 25 years,” says MacLean.
Holly Usher is visiting from Pittsburgh. She says a stop at the Glenora Distillery was a must during her trip to Cape Breton.
“I drink the whiskey at home. I have the 10-year,” says Usher. “I was really looking forward to coming up here and seeing in person where one of my favourite whiskeys comes from.”
Much of the distilling process is done with what's available on the distillery property.
“The natural environment here, nice spring water, we have an orchard next to us,” says MacLean. “Our warehouse is just dirt floors. There's no electricity in them. Whatever the temperature is outside, is the temperature inside.”
The distillery offers tours and is also home to an inn and restaurant.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Ryan MacDonald
