VAGentleman Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I tried searching and didn't see any posts about this, sorry if its been done before but.. I just spent 20 minutes trying to open a bottle of Willett Single Barrel Family Estate, tht included slicing my hand open. I know it looks nice but what a pain in the ass! It should be easier to open a bottle of bourbon. Those wax seals can really drive me insane! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
higgins Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Do the Willett bottles have a little tab to pull? I've added a pair of pliers to my bar equipment just to open bottles of Knob Creek. The miniature wax sealed bottles are particularly obnoxious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VAGentleman Posted January 28, 2013 Author Share Posted January 28, 2013 They do but some of them are waxed over and very hard. I tried pliers but the tab broke off. At least the bourbon was excellent once I did get it open Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MyOldKyDram Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 That wax on the Willett bottles truly is the worst. Never had one open easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HP12 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 As an astute member of the whiskey community has shared, temper the wax seal with some warm water. Much easier to remove either with the "rip cord" or by cutting with a knife. When using a knife, cut away from your hand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sailor22 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 There was a run of ETL a few years ago that had gold wax and was actually worse than the Willett epoxy....err...wax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trey Manthey Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 The absolute worst are the blue wax A.H. Hirsch 20 year capsules! After opening one of those I just think, "Why do I even bother?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolph Lundgren Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I tried searching and didn't see any posts about this, sorry if its been done before but.. I just spent 20 minutes trying to open a bottle of Willett Single Barrel Family Estate, tht included slicing my hand open. I know it looks nice but what a pain in the ass! It should be easier to open a bottle of bourbon. Those wax seals can really drive me insane!Agreed. Plus, trips to the emergency room are much easier to deal with if you had the bottle open beforehand! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
squire Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I refuse to open one of those when I'm in a good mood. They're like the child proof tops that only a child can open. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainQ Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 The absolute worst are the blue wax A.H. Hirsch 20 year capsules! After opening one of those I just think, "Why do I even bother?"First world problem right there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humchan2k Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 The absolute worst are the blue wax A.H. Hirsch 20 year capsules! After opening one of those I just think, "Why do I even bother?" Bragplaint. Just sayin'. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jburlowski Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 Your chainsaw is your friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tico Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I saber all of my wax dipped bottles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Low West Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I saber all of my wax dipped bottles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fishnbowljoe Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 There was a run of ETL a few years ago that had gold wax and was actually worse than the Willett epoxy....err...wax. I agree Steve. I found a couple of those a long time ago. When I opened the first one, I had itty bitty, hard, gold wax pieces scattered all over the kitchen. I fared a little better on the second bottle. Put a plastic bag over it when I opened it up. :grin: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jersey12 Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 I've only had one Willett bottle and I couldn't believe how much of a pain it was to open. Glad to hear I'm at least in good company! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wadewood Posted January 28, 2013 Share Posted January 28, 2013 There was a run of ETL a few years ago that had gold wax and was actually worse than the Willett epoxy....err...wax.Not a run, ETL was bottled with Gold Wax for a long time. Actually several of us at a BT event complained about it and suggested going to same as Weller Centennial and they listened and changed it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trey Manthey Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Bragplaint.Just sayin'. Aww, shucks. I was just kidding. I don't think I'll ever get to open one of those, but I'm not losing sleep over it. BUT! This is coming from the guy who posts something like, "I've got so much 60's S-W Old Fitzgerald I don't know how I'm going to get it all home!" FWIW, the hot water trick worked OK for me with a recent Willett bottle. It was still being finicky, so I held it over a gas burner for a few seconds. Sounds like the makings of a Darwin Award (especially considering it was 140+ proof), but it worked pretty well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Halifax Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 The worst one that I have ever come across is Johnny Drum PS 15. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MacinJosh Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 I've opened numerous Willetts and have only had an issue one time.Lucky perhaps??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SMOWK Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 I've opened numerous Willetts and have only had an issue one time.Lucky perhaps???I've only had an issue once as well. And it's pretty easy to stick a butter knife (least likely to cut ya) under the wax seal and pry it off rather than trying to cut around the cork. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdavek Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 The absolute worst are the blue wax A.H. Hirsch 20 year capsules! After opening one of those I just think, "Why do I even bother?"I feel ya, struggled with my A.H. Hirsch 20 year for 5 minutes, then gave up and threw the bottle away. Just not worth the effort! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAINWRIGHT Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 I have found that starting the tab and using anything such as a nut pick,commonly used for walnut extraction will work quite well. I use this to score the wax seems to it seems fit the bill for me.I also have found some bottles that the wax is rock hard that you just have to fight your way through and seem to explode like shards of glass no matter what you do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauiSon Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 ... and further, I tries to recycle the wax in a candle and it just wouldn't burn - the candle won't burn with bottle-sealing wax. Any one have a recycling purpose for that wax? Maybe hair removal or letter-sealing? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smokewagon Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 ... and further, I tries to recycle the wax in a candle and it just wouldn't burn - the candle won't burn with bottle-sealing wax. Any one have a recycling purpose for that wax? Maybe hair removal or letter-sealing?That's because it really isn't wax. I think most of them are closer to some form of plastic/polymer than actual wax. I've yet to run across any "wax" on a wax sealed bottle that actually acted like wax.~SW Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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