New Appleton labels released

The second standard reference style: aromatic, robust and full flavored - it's absolutely dunderful. To our ships at sea! May they sink very slowly!
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Mrspragoo
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New Appleton labels released

Post by Mrspragoo »

Seen on facebook Appleton has renamed v/x, reserve, extra 12 rums. New labels but same bottles.

https://www.facebook.com/appletonestate ... 50/?type=1
Mrspragoo
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Post by Mrspragoo »

Found my first bottle of the newly labeled v/x , now called special blend, in the Chicago area.

When I went to the Appleton Facebook page someone had posted that they thought that the rum was now being "doctored" and I was wondering if anyone had been able to test the newly labeled products from Appleton yet?
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

That poster is unknown to me, and has made a rather extreme claim with not a whit of backup; therefore, it has to be ignored for now.

My view: a simple, marketing driven label change which may imply a price increase ("premiumization").
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Post by NCyankee »

I just bought a bottle of the new-label "rare blend", it now says "aged 12 years' not "a minimum of 12 years".

This concerns me.

I can't be sure because my old bottle is half full but it looks a little darker. Before I finish it I will open the new one and compare them in glasses.
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Post by The Fat Rum Pirate »

Capn Jimbo wrote:That poster is unknown to me, and has made a rather extreme claim with not a whit of backup; therefore, it has to be ignored for now.

My view: a simple, marketing driven label change which may imply a price increase ("premiumization").
The poster is talking rubbish. The rum is in no way altered. I've never seen the poster before so have no idea what his agenda is.

The only change to the actual rum is that the American Blend of what was the 8 has now been adopted in the UK.

The V/X (or Signature Blend) remains exactly the same - even when compared to a very old (90's) miniature I recently obtained.

The 12 is in no way any different than before.

No noticeable price difference here in the UK (in fact its a good time to stock up on the old label stuff as a lot of places are selling it off).

The Signature Blend remains available at around £20 the Reserve at around £25 and the 12 is £35. The new labelling has just made it is easier to spot the V/X over the 8 or Reserve - as they were very similar in appearance.
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Capn Jimbo
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Post by Capn Jimbo »

Yank.... good eyes!


Sad to say, we have reached the point wherein it is almost impossible to reliably trust ANYTHING that appears (or is excluded) from the label. Age is a particular bugaboo as not a single rum is bonded, ie aged under government supervision - the only real guarantee of age.

In sum, a statement of age is simply a "trust us" statement. And the producers of rogue rum are simply untrustworthy. Deviousness was built into the product from the beginning, when rums were colored to fool the seamen who drank it. Rums were watered to stretch the supply.

Good eyes. Yank, just for fun why don't you send an email asking the age of the youngest rum in the blend? Not that their answer is necessarily more reliable...
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Post by Blade Rummer »

NCyankee wrote: I can't be sure because my old bottle is half full but it looks a little darker. Before I finish it I will open the new one and compare them in glasses.
I also just bought a new bottling recently and had the exact experience, it does seem slightly lighter but like you, I am comparing to a half-full bottle.

I guess the proof will be in the tasting.
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Post by mamajuana »

Had the Signature bottling today. Have to say I enjoyed it much more so than the last bottle of VX I had. The last bottle of VX I had, if memory serves me correctly was bottled in 2014.

This signature bottle was so much better. I can't say if the last batch I had was off or not. But this one is the everyday drinker that Appleton's blenders boast about. The distinct chlorine taste in the VX was nearly gone. I got some on the long finish ever so slightly but it did not hinder the enjoyment as before. I also noticed much more flavorful spice in this bottle. I actually would rate this higher than the VX overall.
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Post by NCyankee »

I just scored a very nice price on a case of 375s of the reserve online - $7 a bottle with free shipping (750 is usually around $25 here in NC). I was concerned that it was mislabeled which often happens online, and was relieved when it got here and was in fact the reserve.

Campari's website still states that the rare blend is a minimum of 12 yrs, but no longer lists any age statement for the Reserve or Signature.

http://www.camparigroup.com/en/brands/r ... 1#legalage
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