Canada’s only single-malt whisky distillery is free to keep selling its Glen Breton Rare whisky after Canadian trademark authorities struck down a complaint that the name was deceptively Scottish.

The Edinburgh-based Scotch Whisky Association had objected to use of the word “glen,” saying that Glenora Distillers International Ltd., based in Glenville, Nova Scotia, was misleading consumers into thinking the 10-year-old Canadian single malt was actually from Scotland.

In legal parlance, the 57-member association claimed the name was “deceptively misdescriptive,” as Canadian whisky drinkers would assume it was the Scottish variety.

But David Martin, the member of Canada’s Trade-Marks Opposition Board who threw out the complaint this month, ruled that “standard dictionary definitions indicate that the word glen has universal application.” He also noted that the Scotch Whisky Association presented no evidence from consumers that might indicate confusion.

“This appears to be a case of overreaching by the opponent,” Martin wrote. (more…)

American Whisk(e)y, Other Whisky | Comments Off

The next TWAS Tasting in February has had a change of venue!

Patrick McGuire from Tasmania Distillery has graciously allowed us to use his Distillery for the next tasting.

The location:

Tasmania Distillery
Unit 1/14 Lamb Place
Cambridge

Write that down, and we’ll see you there!

Gatherings, General | Comments Off

Claus and Michael Braunstein Poulsen are looking to give Danish whisky lovers a home-grown product that can stand up to their Scottish counterparts.

Just a year and a half after opening Braunstein Brewery, the two beer-making brothers are preparing to add distillery equipment onto their existing brewery to produce spirits, including a single malt whisky.
Michael, who is in charge of the brewery’s sales side, said they decided to produce the whisky for the same reason as they brew their beer.

‘We have a motto here: we brew it, we drink it and the rest we sell. It’s a passion.’

Poulsen said they are hoping to produce a unique whisky using grains imported from Scotland and England, while using barrels from the US, Portugal and Denmark.

‘We’re going to take Danish oak and send it to France, where they can make and ‘fire’ the barrels. So it really will be a Danish whisky,’ Poulsen said.

There are only a handful of single malt distilleries outside Scotland - one in Canada, (more…)

Other Whisky | Comments Off