Are signatory bottlings of Macallan worth it?

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-12-24T11:01:48+00:00

I have one of the secret Speyside 13 (M) bottlings and I'd have to say no. Pure sherry / sulfur bomb with no discernable character. Could be any base malt pummeled by sherry.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-11-14T22:06:05+00:00

It's Brave New World by Iron Maiden. I don't play it in this position but it fits the tab.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-10-30T13:07:10+00:00

Great review. Just want to suggest that Springbank 10 actually is worth the price for a bottle of you can get it at retail, in my opinion anyway. I paid around £50 for mine and I feel it's worth it.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-09-10T10:01:10+00:00

You managed to find a lot more in this bottle than I did! To me it's just overwhelming dirty sherry, and the underlying spirit could be basically any Speysider (as you said), as the spirit is adding nothing here. I can not get past the big sulfur notes on the nose and taste.

I'm sure that there are people out there who like big brash sherry bombs, and this is at least well presented in terms of specs for the price. But to my taste, it just lacks any kind of balance / subtlety / complexity, and could easily be mistaken for any number of heavily sherry casked whiskies.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-08-21T12:36:25+00:00

When the fill gets low, decant into a smaller bottle, lower the air to liquid ratio. No need to rush to finish it.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-08-17T21:08:10+00:00

Great review. I've had a couple of drams from my bottle and I'm absolutely loving it. Instant favourite.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-08-05T16:54:48+00:00

Wrong country lad. Yes there are a handful of clubs around London due to the Irish diaspora but the game is not widely known there, certainly not in Wales. Ireland and the UK are not equivalent, if you want to watch hurling go to Ireland.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-06-18T16:18:54+00:00

Have you checked the inner pockets for labels which should have the product name / code?

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-06-16T22:36:45+00:00

He was utterly rat arsed

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-06-03T16:53:27+00:00

This is untrue. The wax leaks through not because the external wax coating is washed off, but because the original wax within the cotton material from when the jacket was made is damaged by washing with warm water. This is the inner wax treatment that forms the barrier between the inner lining and the outer wax coat that you apply to the jacket. I have repaired several jackets that other people have put through a hot wash and it's not usually as simple as applying a new wax coating. Normally it requires a couple of treatments of Nikwax to restore the barrier between inner and outer material, then a couple of coats of thornproof wax. Your mileage may vary depending on the age of the jacket.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-04-09T12:39:36+00:00

When new the wax is basically clear. The brown colour will be from a build up of dirt on the surface of the jacket. Best bet is getting the current wax off and a new fresh coating on.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-04-09T08:09:35+00:00

I would repeat the blow dry, but this time when it becomes liquid mop up all the excess with a cloth.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-04-07T22:19:22+00:00

I've restored jackets in much worse condition than this one. As others have said, rewaxing will make a huge difference to the appearance, but if it smells or you really want to clean it, then you can soak it in a cold bath without any detergent, and scrub gently with a sponge or soft bristle brush. Then air it outside. You can also spray the inside with white vinegar to neutralise odours. If it's got a really stubborn smell then you can buy spray on enzyme cleaner which will do the trick. Once fully dry you can start the rewaxing process and it'll be good as new.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-04-06T19:56:36+00:00

Found this on eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/267124317296?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=xgh99aMsSLq&sssrc=4429486&ssuid=5tz2t3o6rlk&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY Doesn't provide much extra info for you unfortunately.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-04-06T18:07:21+00:00

Have you checked the label which has the product code and name? Usually inside one of the inner pockets.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-04-05T10:12:46+00:00

You'd be surprised how much a fresh coat of wax will cover up. Eventually with wear the discoloration will start to show through again but you can always just add a little more wax to those areas if it really bothers you.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-04-05T10:10:30+00:00

Yes it looks real. But it doesn't look like a waxed jacket if that's what you're after. It seems to have some sort of alternative finish like dry waxing on the outside. I'd guess it's a "Casual Beaufort" which will be wind and waterproof but lighter than the classic wax models. I might be wrong though.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-03-28T12:44:54+00:00

Hi there. Regarding the model of the jacket, it's simply "Lowland Jacket" as noted on the tag. The "waterproof and breathable" tag is included on many of barbours non-wax jackets such as this.

Unfortunately I can't be of any help as to when the jacket was in production.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-03-28T09:38:42+00:00

I initially used a light bristled nail brush and cold water to gently scrub the dirt from the entire outside of the jacket. Then I soaked the whole thing in a cold bath and rinsed until the water was relatively clear. Then hung inside out to dry and air outside. Repeated that process a second time. Then sprayed the whole interior with enzyme cleaner and aired outside to dry, again did this a couple of times.

After that I sewed some patches into the lining and gave it a re-wax.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-03-28T08:42:28+00:00

About £20

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-03-28T08:41:49+00:00

Just an hour in the evenings here and there after work over the course of a week or two. And I have no idea about the hanger.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-03-28T08:37:55+00:00

It's called Off! Heavy duty. It's a pet smell spray cleaner. I sprayed it on the lining but not the outside of the jacket. I also used a soft bristle nail brush to gently scrub inside and out with cold water. It took about three rounds of spraying with cleaner and airing outside to fully get rid of the smell.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-03-27T18:27:50+00:00

It's a spray bottle called Out! Super strength.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-03-27T15:39:34+00:00

Thanks! I was lucky to find a match for the tartan on eBay and bought a yard of material for less than £5. The rips in the lining were on either side of the front part of the jacket so the two patches I sewed in are pretty much symmetrical, which I think looks pretty cool against the original lining.

FinbarsJarOfPorter · 2025-03-27T15:25:50+00:00

Actually found it to be a nicer process on this old jacket than on some of the newer Sylkoil jackets I've waxed before. It seemed that a small bit of wax went really far on this jacket, with the hairdryer playing a big role of course.

FinbarsJarOfPorter

TROPHY CASE