Signatory Vintage - 13 Year Speyside (m) 2024 bottling - Review
Background of Signatory Vintage Independent Bottlers
Signatory Vintage was established in 1988 by brothers Andrew and Brian Symington in Edinburgh, Scotland. From its inception, the company distinguished itself with a focus on transparency, rarity, and cask individuality in Scotch whisky. The original concept was to have bottles signed by celebrities—hence the name "Signatory"—but demand outpaced this plan, and the company developed a reputation for bottling single cask whiskies that showcased the unique profile of each barrel. Early bottlings, such as a 1968 sherry-matured Glenlivet, set the tone for their commitment to quality and rarity(1)(2)(3).
The company moved operations to Edinburgh and expanded rapidly, and in 2002, Andrew Symington became the sole owner, acquiring the Edradour Distillery in Highland Perthshire. This acquisition allowed Signatory to integrate distilling into their independent bottling business and relocate their operations to the Edradour premises. Signatory remains known for offering a wide range of releases—often up to 50 casks at a time—without artificial coloring or chill-filtration, maintaining the spirit's authenticity. Over the years, they have garnered respect for bottling rare expressions from both well-known and lost distilleries, preserving unique slices of Scotch whisky history for collectors and enthusiasts worldwide(4)(2)(3).
History of Macallan Scotch (Wink, wink, nudge nudge)
This bottle could very well not be Macallan. Who is to say. Word on the street is that the little (m) next to Speyside is the tell. So anyways… Here is a write up on Macallan ~ just in case ~. The Macallan distillery stands as a pillar of Scotland's single malt whisky tradition, with origins tracing back to 1824 when Alexander Reid, a barley farmer and teacher, obtained one of Scotland’s first legal licenses to distill whisky at Easter Elchies House on the banks of the River Spey. The site was ideal due to its fertile land and proximity to the Spey’s pure water(5)(6)(7)(8).
Originally called Elchies, the distillery underwent major changes in the late 19th century when it was acquired by Roderick Kemp in 1892, who focused on improving the facilities and establishing Macallan as a premium whisky producer. Macallan’s reputation grew, in part thanks to long maturation in Spanish sherry casks, which became a signature element of its flavor profile. Though its malt was widely used in blends for much of its history, Macallan began focusing on single malt expressions in the 1980s—a move that would cement its prestige as single malts rose in popularity worldwide(6)(8).
Through successive ownership changes—from Highland Distillers to the Edrington Group in 1999—Macallan expanded production while maintaining high standards. Today, Macallan is celebrated for both innovation and tradition, producing some of the world’s most sought-after and collectible single malts, with a storied legacy that continues to shape the industry(5)(6)(9)(8).
Review:
Nose: Lovely notes of honeydew, caramelized sugar, and baking spice are immediately noticeable. After the first whiff or two, the sherry notes come ~ barreling ~ in. (I’m sorry about that one, not proud of it). Then follows a softened vanilla with some dried bitter fruits like cranberries. This was a wonderful nose and is gearing me up for a dessert like taste on the palate. Common for a speyside, there are no notes of salinity or peatiness here.
Palate: There is quite a bit of bite here on the palate for the first sip. The sherry pushes it’s way through the burn and the vanilla and fruit notes are dominating on the initial few seconds. It is not very heavy on the palate, but isn’t watery either. I’d consider this to have a mild/medium viscosity to it. On the second sip, the flavors really start to pop. I’m getting a cinnamon apple strudel with vanilla ice cream. Oddly enough, one the second sip I get a bit of lemon peel here as well adding a bit of bitterness to an otherwise fruitful sweet dram.
Finish: The finish ends with sherrrrrrrrry and rhubarb fruits. This is a sherry bomb. If you don’t fancy sherries whiskies, this may not be for you. The finish lasts long and lingers around for quite a while. On the back end (probably about 30-45 seconds after the sip, I get a soft nuttiness note which was interesting as it was nowhere to be found on the nose or palate. The finish is punchy for about 20-25 seconds around and leaves you with a warm scottish hug for a while. Some other people reviewing this bottle found that there can be some notes of sulphur here, but I didn’t find any in my bottling.
Overall: (87). From start to finish, this was a lovely scotch. It was punchy where it needed to be, no offensive flavors, and for it’s age, really packed in some well rounded notes. People have heard me say many times before I think Macallan is overpriced for what it is. I still think that in many respects. However, if this is Macallan, 100 proof, for $69.99 and this was a normal offering you could find at any given point? I’d shut my mouth quickly. This dialed up the muted flavor profile I found of Macallan and really gave it some uniqueness and complexity.
Value: 90/100; (+5 on the overall). I paid $69.99 for this by the recommendation of one of the employees at my store I have frequented for over 5-6 years. He said “Do you like Macallan?” I said “I think its overhyped for what it is.” He responded “What would you say if I had a 13 year old Macallan at 100 proof for $69.99?” I said “Forget that I said anything up until this point.” This was an excellent recommendation and for the value, easily bumped this score up 5 points for me (highest on the scale).
Availability: Relatively limited bottling. Signatory gets a few barrels here and there for “Speyside(m)” and they release them at varying off ages. Keep an eye out for it and I think you will manage to find a bottle without looking too terribly hard.
Citations (and links to Macallan and Signatory directly):
https://www.whisky.com/whisky-database/bottler/signatory-vintage.html
https://scotchwhisky.com/whiskypedia/2272/signatory-vintage-scotch-whisky-company/
https://cwspirits.com/blogs/product-features/macallan-scotch-whiskey
https://www.remedyliquor.com/blogs/news/the-macallan-history-of-a-world-class-whisky-brand
https://whiskyinvestments.com/the-history-of-the-macallan-scotch-whisky/
