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It’s Saturday, so that must mean it’s time for another round of Man of Many’s Staff Favourites, where we celebrate the products, services, entertainment, and experiences that have caught our eye over the last seven days.
We get to try so much of the cool, novel, and curious on a daily basis, but these encounters don’t always result in full write-ups or reviews. Instead, we collect them here in the hope you’ll find something new and exciting to give your weekend a lift.
This week features a very special evening with The Macallan, more Michael Jackson analysis (can’t they leave the poor guy alone?), a bejewelled blinder from Bell & Ross, and Samsung’s big Vivid moment.
The Macallan Whisky Dinner Experience – A Night With My Favourite Scotch at the Hyatt Regency
Long-time readers of Staff Favourites will know The Macallan is probably my favourite Scotch whisky brand. I’ve covered their Harmony Collection and the 200th anniversary TIME : SPACE release here before, so when an invitation to The Macallan Whisky Dinner Experience at the Hyatt Regency Sydney landed in our Editor-in-Chief Rob’s inbox, and he couldn’t make it, I put my hand up quickly before anyone else could.
There’s a reason this Speyside distillery has been my go-to since I first got into whisky. Its heritage is hard to argue with; having been at it since 1824, and along the way, it’s become the benchmark for collectable Scotch. A single bottle of The Macallan 1926 sold for north of AUD$4 million at auction, the most expensive bottle of whisky ever to go under the hammer. I won’t be tasting that one, but the lineup on the night is nothing to sneeze at: four curated drams spanning the Double Cask 12 (the classic entry point and a staple on my bar cart), the Rare Cask, and the latest release from the Harmony Collection, Honey Orchid Tea, created with artist Jing-Phoenix. The Harmony series is one I’ve written about before, an annual limited drop that channels the distillery’s sustainability push into packaging made from repurposed organic by-products.
Each pour comes matched to a menu of smoked duck, coffee-rubbed lamb loin, and charcoal-grilled Wagyu beef cheek, with The Macallan’s Brand Ambassador walking the room through the history behind each expression.
And here’s the good news! You can join me and get tickets yourself! The dinner runs from 6 pm to 10 pm on Thursday, 25 June in the heritage surrounds of the Hyatt Regency Sydney. Tickets are AUD$275 per person, and seats are limited. So, if you fancy a crack, get in quick. I’ll be the one at the back nursing the Rare Cask.
Disclosure: I will be attending The Macallan Whisky Dinner Experience as a guest of The Macallan and Hyatt Regency Sydney.
Favourite Article of the Week: The Macallan’s New 1986 Romantica Collection is a Holy Grail for Whisky Collectors
Favourite Video of the Week: We Put Starward’s Co-Ferment Shiraz to the Ultimate Team Taste Test
Michael Jackson: The Verdict – The Documentary That Reopens the Conversation
Hannah Maher – Sales & Partnerships Coordinator
Watching the new Michael Jackson documentary on Netflix, the main thing you notice is how quickly it challenges what you think you already know. It doesn’t try to steer you toward a simple answer. Instead, it lays everything out and lets the tension sit there.
What makes it interesting is that it holds two things at once. On one hand, there’s the music and the level of success he reached, which is still hard to compare to anyone else. On the other, there are the more difficult parts of his story that the documentary doesn’t avoid. You’re constantly switching between the two as you watch.
Even if you already feel familiar with his story, this makes you look at it differently. It’s less about reaching a final opinion and more about understanding how complicated his legacy actually is.
Favourite Article of the Week: Why Colour Analysis is the Ultimate Hack for an Elevated Wardrobe
Bell & Ross Gem-Set BR-05 36 mm Blue Diamond Eagle
Rob Edwards – Branded Content Editor
I have a real soft spot for Bell & Ross, specifically the watchmaker’s Urban range, which was expanded this week with a new jewellery-influenced interpretation of the 36 mm Blue Diamond Eagle, a watch launched last March.
This new take is a little on the ostentatious side, but that’s half the fun. Featuring a bezel set with 108 diamonds and a wonderfully deep blue aventurine dial, which is punctuated by a further 18 diamonds forming the Aquila constellation, it’s certainly an eye-catching piece.
With this sizing, the watch would be ideal for the ladies, although I think any bloke rocking it would be deserving of much respect. A watch like this asserts that subtlety is overrated, and while keeping things low-key does have its place, looking at this piece and its pairing of geometric design with exceptional gem-setting expertise, I’m inclined to agree with that assertion.
Favourite Article of the Week: TAG Heuer Monaco: Where Style, Motorsport, and Hollywood Glamour Collide
Favourite Video of the Week: World Cup Jerseys
Samsung Sky Portal Harbour Cruise Experience
Rob Edwards – Branded Content Editor
Another inclusion from me for this instalment of Staff Favourites because it’s been one of those weeks.
On Thursday, I had the good fortune to spend an evening on Sydney Harbour with our friends at Samsung, and even a committed cynic like me would have to admit it was pretty spectacular. When you’ve called Sydney home for most of your life, it’s easy to forget just what a beauty she can be. Thursday provided a timely reminder that this is one of the most picturesque cities in the world, particularly during the Vivid Light Festival.
Boarding The Jackson, arguably Sydney’s most well-known superyacht, we departed from Circular Quay and cruised around the harbour for a while, passing the Opera House and heading under the Harbour Bridge, before making our way to Farm Cove, which is wrapped by the Royal Botanic Gardens.
As golden hour approached, the main event kicked off with considerable fanfare. A Huey helicopter airlifted the Sky Portal—an enormous creation weighing over a tonne and sporting dual screens measuring 8m by 2.5m each—from a barge in the cove and flew it 150m above the water. The screens displayed a collaborative film shot entirely with Samsung Galaxy S26 devices that captures a snapshot of 24 hours in Sydney.
Co-created with the people of Sydney via thousands of user-generated content submissions and photographers Benjamin Lee and Tim Northey (members of Samsung’s Team Galaxy influencer posse), the film celebrates Sydney, showcasing its many faces, including iconic beaches, suburban scenes, and urban cityscapes.
From there, fireworks ensued, followed by a quick journey back to dry land. Sydney, I’m sorry for ever taking you for granted.
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