Broken Wax Seal

[mattnfg]

Hi Everyone.

Long time reader - first time poster.

I recently won a reasonably expensive bottle of whisky at auction and it has arrived with the wax seal quite badly cracked (more than just a hairline crack - if you pulled it I think the seal would probably come away).

Of course all the auction sites do warn that wax can break in transit, so no way to claim any refund or ask for money back.

Although I do intend to drink the bottle at some point, this may not be for a long while (it would need a seriously special occasion) and I want to preserve the value of the bottle for the future.

The cork seems to be in tact (no smell of whisky around the bottle and fill level still well into the neck).

If you were me would you:

A. Just leave it
B. Try to repair the wax with a lighter / candle
C. Take the wax off and re-dip the bottle

Thanks in advance for any expert guidance.

Matt

[ralfy legend]

Oooo I’m gunna Leave that to the experts as I don’t want to say get it poured now and enjoy,, ooops my big mouth , you get some spot on advice soon I’m sure.

[Southcoast Boy]

What is the whisky?

Some wax is just cosmetic and some isn't.

Mostly though, in terms of drinking, I would assume the whisky will not be affected in years to come based on your description.

In terms of selling, repairing the wax, or completely redipping is 100% a no no. That would be considered tampering and auctions would reject it for selling and if sold in an other way, then nobody worth their salt would touch it. Better left as it is.

Regards

[BigShing]

Perhaps a photo wouild enable people to better assess how precarious things might be seal-wise? I know you can buy various materials/devices that could apply a trustworthy seal over the bottle for you if you do intend to simply drink it one day, but need a seal that will enable that day to be far away, but I'm drawing a blank off the top of my head right now, so will need to look into that later maybe.

I would assume simply wrapping it rightly and reasonably thickly in cling film would do a good job of sealing for you.

[mattnfg]

Thanks so much for the advice so far everyone - much appreciated.

It is a bottle of Compass Box - 5th & Harrison.

I have included a picture below of the worst of the crack which is right around where the cork would be, but there is a hairline that goes around the rest of the bottle almost the full way round.

https://ibb.co/wrr6D6G

Many thanks

[unblended]

i wouldnt touch it it all looks genuine looks like its hit something or dropped on to something accidents happen

have you tried compass box them selves to see if theres anything they can do about it

[Nimo]

[mattnfg]

Thanks everyone.

I will give Compass Box a call as some have suggested and see if there is anything they can do.

[BigShing]

Loooks to me like most of the crack is above the cork itself, so I would be fairly confident that it's not affecting the whisky too much, but if you wanted to make sure it's sealed properly then a strip of sellotape is all that needs. Otherwise, I think it would be OK to leave it as is for now and see what compass box say!

[unblended]

you could use parafilm if your worried about evaporation

it is mainly used by mini bottle collectors

[mattnfg]

Just posting an update here. I spoke to Compass Box and the chap on the phone did not know off hand if this is something they could help with, however he was exceptionally helpful and promised to find out.

I will update the forum when I have an answer.

[pilch69]

what did it look like from the auction photos ? are you sure its the same bottle, if you are then looks like drinking it is your best bet and perhaps re sealing it until then

if its an investment then looks like you've been done

[mattnfg]

Ok - so I spoke to Compass Box - they have an office in London where I happen to work.

They have been incredibly helpful. They have the same wax used to seal the bottle in stock and have agreed to re-wax it for me.

Fantastic customer service, even though this bottle was not acquired directly from them or at retail!

[DF]

That’s good service.

[BigShing]

That's great news, makes me wonder how they go about it though? Will they attempt to remove the wax at all first or just dip it back in, wax and all?