Review #640 - Signatory Vintage Speyside (M) [Macallan] 13 Year - US 100 Proof Edition #1
Signatory Vintage's 100 Proof series has been making waves in the single malt market over the past year or two, especially in the European market; now, the series has come to the United States. The country will get its own unique editions of the series, and there's one major difference between the two series: in the US, the bottling strength is 50% ABV, while in other markets, the strength is 57.1% ABV.
The reason for this is the differing definitions of 'proof,' depending on where you are. The original series from Signatory was labeled using the older Imperial Proof system, in which 100 proof is equal to 57.14% ABV; in the US, however, the 'proof' is simply double the alcohol by volume, so 100 proof is 50% ABV. Signatory kept the name for the series, but to avoid confusion in the US market, they used the lower bottling strength.
Still, this series is supposed to present great value, as we have the chance to taste quality whisky from a variety of distilleries at a higher strength that standard. Here's a great place to start: the notorious 'Speyside (M),' or Macallan.
Traditionally, many distilleries did not allow independent bottlers to disclose the actual source distillery of the casks being bottled; often, these single malts would just be denoted by their Scotch region on the label. Signatory Vintage has some fun with this, giving us clues like this Speyside (M) naming convention; at this point, it's well known that this always means the whisky came from Macallan.
Macallan is known for its use of sherry casks for maturation - that's still the case with this IB version. A full maturation is first fill Oloroso butts was the cask regimen for this first edition in the US 100 Proof series, and because this comes from Signatory Vintage, we know there's no chill filtration or added color to worry about.
Signatory Vintage Speyside (M) [Macallan] 13 Year - US 100 Proof Edition #1
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 70 (2025)
Age Statement: 13 Years
Strength: 50% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill Oloroso sherry butts
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled 2011, bottled 2024
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 2 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, and 70% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Stewed prunes, musty malt, a little bit savory, a bit of sulphur - a classic Macallan nose. It smells oily and slightly acidic, and more fruits of raisin, orange, even burnt orange peel arrive; there's a hint of perfume in the oak as well.
Palate: The mouthfeel has a medium thickness; fruits are dominant up front, with orange, prune, and red berries taking center stage. The texture is nice and oily; brown sugar adds sweetness, but black pepper adds spice. There's a mild vegetal side to the malt profile, and later, we find blackberry jam.
Finish: Pleasantly warming with a soft nutty character and a bit more oak - that element increases with time. Orange oil, strawberry, and cranberry... just a hint of those dark purple stewed fruits as well... and there are nice baking spices like cardamom and nutmeg. At the end, there's a mild tannic note from the oak, and it's a medium length finish.
Final Note: A solid, if unexceptional, expression of Macallan. The higher strength is indeed an improvement from the official bottlings from the distillery, but it isn't quite enough to take this single malt to the heights it might reach if it was bottled at cask strength. Nice fruits and baking spices, but this isn't overly complex; just a solid Macallan, one that's nice to sip on, but might not grab your attention. Then again, that's the point of this 100 proof series, isn't it?
Value is above average, as we hoped and expected from this bottle - it isn't exceptional whisky, but the price is very fair. This is bottled at a strength 7% higher than the official bottlings, and in our area, it's also more than $20 cheaper per bottle than the ubiquitous Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak Cask. You also get an extra year of maturation for your trouble, and we know that Signatory uses high quality casks; therefore, this makes the official bottlings look a bit silly.
Our Average Rating: 6.9 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.63
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
