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Rittenhouse is Changing Its Label


weinoo

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There's some pretty hilarious back and forth about this b/w various bartenders on Facebook right now.

 

I don't think it looks that bad, but it's no improvement. And the eventual price hike it foretells is the real worry.

DrunkLab.tumblr.com

”In Demerara some of the rum producers have a unique custom of placing chunks of raw meat in the casks to assist in aging, to absorb certain impurities, and to add a certain distinctive character.” -Peter Valaer, "Foreign and Domestic Rum," 1937

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And the eventual price hike it foretells is the real worry.

 

Yeah, at the end of the day I don't care what it looks like if it stays at it's current price point. According to this article they're keeping it at the same price point for now, but I don't have much faith in it staying that way.

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And how hideous is this..

 

attachicon.gifRittenhouse_100-106x320.png

 

Looks like I'll be refilling my old bottles, like I do with Plymouth.

 

 

The new label featuring the diamond shape is a throw back to the early Rittenhouse labels which in the 30's was known as Rittenhouse Square Rye Whisky (the traditional spelling for the brand) and was named after a square in Philadelphia close to where I think it was originally made (some dispute about that it seems). It was one of the first Pennsylvania style ryes to return after Prohibition and although it ihas changed distillers many times it was one of the classic names that has survived the tough times of American whiskey.

 

Whether or not it is indeed hideous is certainly a matter of personal preference!

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If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. ~Mark Twain

Some people are like a Slinky. They are not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs...

~tanstaafl2

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OK - not as nice as the label we're all used to, if that makes you happy-er.

 

However, if they raise the price to $30, can we all call it hideous then?

 

I confess I have little regard for the nuances of label designs in general and so it hadn't really bothered me much one way or another as long as it had the info on it I care about (which so few labels do these days!).

 

I do know if the contents are good it could be a brown paper sack written in crayon for the label as long as it had the pertinent details and I wouldn't mind!

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. ~Mark Twain

Some people are like a Slinky. They are not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs...

~tanstaafl2

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I confess I have little regard for the nuances of label designs in general and so it hadn't really bothered me much one way or another as long as it had the info on it I care about (which so few labels do these days!).

 

I do know if the contents are good it could be a brown paper sack written in crayon for the label as long as it had the pertinent details and I wouldn't mind!

 

And yes, any price increase is always hideous!

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. ~Mark Twain

Some people are like a Slinky. They are not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs...

~tanstaafl2

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No, just assumed as (re)branding efforts are costly and usually only undertaken if they'll lead to more revenue. Rittenhouse is a bartender's darling at a time when that's a valuable thing to be; one could hardly blame them for raising the price more, if indeed they do, but we might have to start looking for other options in the ~$20 range (hello ri(1), your time may finally have come). 

DrunkLab.tumblr.com

”In Demerara some of the rum producers have a unique custom of placing chunks of raw meat in the casks to assist in aging, to absorb certain impurities, and to add a certain distinctive character.” -Peter Valaer, "Foreign and Domestic Rum," 1937

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Is the price rise confirmed?

 

The present claim is that the new label will not be accompanied by a price hike. But with time in the current environment it seems almost inevitable that it will go up. It has been a steal to this point.

 

That said, with the exception of the older Elijah Craigs which I think are grossly overpriced and the absurdly high price of the HH gift shop offerings, HH has done a decent job of keeping most offerings at a fairly reasonable price as best I can tell.

If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man. ~Mark Twain

Some people are like a Slinky. They are not really good for anything, but you still can't help but smile when you shove them down the stairs...

~tanstaafl2

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I think its down to $80 here.

 

I would bet they are seeing increased competition from the designer rye whiskeys and felt a new label would get more attention.  With their big backing, I don't think they are going to be beat on price/value.  But they could still think there is more profit to be made if they bump the price some.

It's almost never bad to feed someone.

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Maybe WT101 rye at $30 for a litre isn't such a ripoff anymore..

They still make that?  All we get here is the 81 crap.  I might as well buy Jim Beam rye, but I usually just end up biting the Bulleit.  (those three are pretty much my only choices in PA)

Mike

"The mixing of whiskey, bitters, and sugar represents a turning point, as decisive for American drinking habits as the discovery of three-point perspective was for Renaissance painting." -- William Grimes

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They still make that?  All we get here is the 81 crap.  I might as well buy Jim Beam rye, but I usually just end up biting the Bulleit.  (those three are pretty much my only choices in PA)

 

You can get it! Special order it from the PLCB. 

To order call 1-800-332-7522 Option 1

Product #540576

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$25.99 at my local BevMo, and $23.99 at DrinkUpNY...

 

I only see the 81 on DrinkUpNY, $26.99 for 750ml (same for BevMo, but 23.99)

Edited by Hassouni (log)
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