Glen Breton 12 Year Old Canadian Single Malt Whisky Aged in Ice Wine Barrels
Glen Breton 12 Year Old Canadian Single Malt Whisky Aged in Ice Wine Barrels is an 86-proof (43% ABV) single malt from Glenora Distillery in Glenville, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia — aged 12 years in ex-bourbon barrels, then finished four months in Nova Scotia ice wine barrels. Glenora is North America's first single malt whisky distillery, distilling with Scottish-imported copper pot stills and water from MacLellan's Brook in the Mabou Highlands. In a 750mL bottle, it is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- Proof / ABV: 86 proof (43% ABV)
- Size: 750mL
- Age: 12 years — ex-bourbon barrels, finished 4 months in ice wine barrels
- Process: 100% malted barley, double-distilled in Scottish copper pot stills, MacLellan's Brook water
- Producer: Glenora Distillery, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia — North America's first single malt whisky distillery (production began 1990)
Ice Wine Meets Single Malt
The ice-wine finish is Glenora's signature move: after a dozen years in ex-bourbon wood, the whisky spends four months in barrels that held Nova Scotia ice wine, picking up honeyed stone-fruit and a distinctive winey lift that bourbon casks alone could never give. The barrels are sourced from a Nova Scotia winery (see the Metadata flag on the Grand Pré vs Jost question), keeping the whole story within a few dozen miles of the distillery. It took International Gold at the 2016 New York Wine and Spirits Competition. Browse the Glen Breton collection and explore more Canadian whisky at Del Mesa.
Tasting Notes
The nose is honeyed and winey — apricot, peach, and ice-wine sweetness over malt and vanilla. The palate brings the 12 years of bourbon-cask maturity first (oak, vanilla, malt), then the ice-wine finish lifts it with stone fruit and honey. The finish is long and gently sweet, with the wine-barrel character lingering.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass — the ice-wine aromatics are the whole point and deserve concentration. A few drops of water open the fruit further. This is a contemplative pour, not a mixer; save the cocktails for the standard 10.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does "ice wine barrels" mean?
Barrels that previously held ice wine — wine made from grapes frozen on the vine, intensely sweet — which impart honeyed stone-fruit character during the four-month finish.
Is Glen Breton Scotch?
No. It is Canadian single malt whisky from Cape Breton, Nova Scotia — distilled like a Scotch (100% malted barley, pot stills) but matured in Canada.
What proof is it?
86 proof (43% ABV), 750mL — the US bottling; a 700mL/40% European variant also exists.
Buy Glen Breton 12 Year Old Ice Wine online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA — Cape Breton craft with a Nova Scotia ice-wine soul.