Quick Facts
Owner: Lauchie MacLean is the current owner and replaced the original owner, Bruce Jardine.
Location: Glenville, N.S.
History: The business started in the late 80s, but the story of whisky in this specific area of Cape Breton begins in the 1800s. Scottish immigrants settled in the highlands and brought many traditions with them, including the making of whisky, which Glenora Distillery continues to this day.
Whisky Fact: Their whisky includes just three ingredients: barley, wheat, and water. The distillery gets their water from MacLellan’s Brook, which runs through the property.
Lauchie MacLean is making sure Glenora Distillers perseveres, despite professional setbacks. “It’s a whole different level of stress and every position has stress at different times. The biggest stress of being an entrepreneur is when you have people working for you, and you’re responsible to make sure that they can put food on the table,” says MacLean, the company’s owner and president. “There’s always going to be curveballs thrown at a business when you least expect it, so it’s a matter of rolling up your sleeves and working through them. For MacLean, it was countless court battles.
For a period of nine years, they went through several levels of the Canadian court system, all the way to the Supreme Court. Until June 2009, when the court decided Glenora could use the name Glen Breton as a trademark. But long before that, he needed to own Glenora. The opportunity to buy the company came up at an auction. MacLean, with two other partners, purchased the business which was in its fifth year at the time.
“I never ran an inn, a restaurant, or a distillery so it was a daunting challenge, but I felt like I was up to the task. I had a couple of partners, and we had some success in the years prior, so there was some investment capital available,” he says. “We thought it was a unique opportunity, so we gave it a shot and it’s been successful.”
Although this success hasn’t been without hard work, when first purchasing the company, the batches of aged whisky were only at one, two, and three years and MacLean wanted to ensure his first product was of the highest quality. In order to let the whisky reach its full potential, they made the decision to continue distilling it until November 2000.
Then, within two months of launching their product, they received a cease-and-desist letter from the Scotch Whisky Association. The association objected to the use of the word “glen” in the company’s name, saying customers would think it was scotch. “I said no we’re not dropping it; it’s our name and we’re moving forward with it,” says MacLean. “Lawyers cost a lot of money after 10 years, and our opponents probably spent millions of dollars. We had a small law firm, but very mighty, and they helped guide us through and be successful in the end.”
“We’re going to stay premium; it’s a niche all on its own. We fought the Scotch Whisky Association for so long and said we better keep it where it’s at.”
Located on route to the Cabot Trail in Glenville, N.S., the distillery also has an inn and restaurant, and they all operate from May to October each year. The distillery has different tour experiences for individuals and groups, also providing customized and private tours as well. They use copper pot stills and traditional techniques which Glenora says are on par with the greatest single malts in Scotland.
The company has a connection to Scotland, not only through MacLean’s family but also through the founding of the distillery. Founder Bruce Jardine wanted to build a distillery in an area with Scottish heritage, sourcing authentic copper pot stills and a mash tun from Scotland. The company still produces its whisky traditionally, using only yeast, barley, and water from a local source.
“So, there is a passion for our genealogy, our history, where we came from, and who our people were. And what makes me who I am now in comparison to what they were then,” says MacLean. “And those connections, as large and small as they are, make us who we are today and who we are in the future.”
The distillery receives about 1,200 tourists a year; 2019 was the last really good year, says MacLean. He’s noticed the last few years, including 2023, have been a little down. “It’s not a disaster, but it’s just not a great tourist season that is all,” he says. The international economy has a lot to do with it, says MacLean, as COVID-19 affected the supply lines internationally and the ability to access deliverable goods at a reasonable price. “We used to be able to ship some of our supplies and packaging out of China for $2,500 to $3,500 a container back in 2019, and in 2021 it cost us $25,000,” says MacLean. “And that just goes on the bottom line whether you’re in a Walmart, Superstore, or Dollarstore, it affects everybody.”
“Having 20 years of people knocking you down, having to deal with bankers, having to deal with the government and everything else like that, you have to make sure you love what you do. If you don’t, it’s not worth it because life is short.”
This is the first year they’ve had to raise their prices, which they did by five percent, and MacLean thinks they will have to do another five percent increase next year to keep up with costs. And, according to information gathered by ACD Data Services, keeping up they are. President of ACD, Todd Fuller, says coming in at number eight, Glenora Distillers is the only small whiskey maker on the list of the top 10 whisky brands in Nova Scotia.
“The interesting thing about it is for the most part Nova Scotia is tuned in with the top brands throughout Canada,” says Fuller. “But it’s pleasing to see that there’s local support for a product. It’s always a good thing when the local or smaller company can establish and do well because it inspires all the rest to be better.”
In Nova Scotia, whisky represents 21.4 percent of all spirits consumed, about two percent less than other Maritime provinces. Fuller says Nova Scotia is on the lower end of whisky consumption, but notes sales are up about 0.4 percent this year.
MacLean says they’re classed as a premium whisky brand, but are also affordable, which is part of the reason they’re popular for gifts, especially around the holiday season. “We’re going to stay premium; it’s a niche all on its own,” says MacLean. “We fought the Scotch Whisky Association for so long and said we better keep it where it’s at.” He jokes his most expensive cost is his mistakes and says, “In order to grow you’ve got to have a few large mistakes in there along the way, and you learn from those.”
One defining moment for MacLean wasn’t a mistake but rather an effect of the 2008 financial crisis. Sales were steady during the Fall into the December holiday season. But, when January hit, they didn’t sell any bottles until the middle of June. MacLean says the funds to operate seasonal businesses weren’t there. “I just scratched my head and said we just don’t have the money and the bank wouldn’t loan us money because we’re still in a lawsuit,” he says.
“So, I thought what can I do and said we have loyal employees that have been with us for almost 20 years.” In a meeting with his staff, MacLean told them he didn’t have the money to open up, offering late pay to anyone who wanted to stay, they could bank their hours and be paid in late summer. “And you know what, everyone in that meeting said yes. It was a testament to their loyalty, but also my loyalty to making sure they had a paycheck when time came and giving them a position of employment,” he says. “So, it was a very proud moment for Glenora that the team rallied around and it was a significant moment in Glenora’s history. We probably wouldn’t have opened for that season without that.”
Staff is important, says MacLean, and when building a successful business, managing their needs comes along with operating a business. “For some people out there, being an entrepreneur, working for yourself, creating your own mark in the world and dealing with people, or dealing with technology can be very rewarding,” says MacLean. “There’s always going to be stress; you’re dealing with other people’s lives and making sure they have a paycheck to buy food and take care of their children at home, for example. But it can be tremendously rewarding to know that you’re adding to the fabric of life for the community where you’re at, whether it’s Cape Breton, or Canada.”
“There’s always going to be curveballs thrown at a business when you least expect it, so it’s a matter of rolling up your sleeves and working through them.”
MacLean says up-and-coming entrepreneurs should be honest with themselves about what they’re trying to create and try not to go too far into debt. Specifically, to people going into the craft distilling business, he says with all the new growth in breweries and craft distilleries opening up, the market is saturated. “There’s not enough market share for all of them to continue perpetually. Certainly, it’s gone through some major incredible growth in the last 10 to 12 years, but don’t mortgage the farm when it comes to packaging and infrastructure,” he says, adding most importantly, “make sure you love what you do.”
“Having 20 years of people knocking you down, having to deal with bankers, having to deal with the government and everything else like that, you have to make sure you love what you do. If you don’t, it’s not worth it because life is short.”
