(ri)1 - The Right Price

[ILLfarmboy]

I wonder if the death knell is ringing in this distance for this label? Sounds like it is in a bit of trouble from all I read here and retailers with whom I've spoken. With the backing of the ginormous Beam though, may be a bit premature on my part to ask such a question.

I'm inclined to think it is a product that would do better in a boom time. Status buying is in decline, for that matter so are purchasess by true enthousiasts, but I suspect not nearly so much.

Beam would have done better if they would have catereted to serious enthousiasts. To be sure the market isn't nearly as big but It is more stable and less efected by economic downturns.

[Old Lamplighter]

I'm inclined to think it is a product that would do better in a boom time. Status buying is in decline, for that matter so are purchasess by true enthousiasts, but I suspect not nearly so much.

Beam would have done better if they would have catereted to serious enthousiasts. To be sure the market isn't nearly as big but It is more stable and less efected by economic downturns.

Very good points. Like you, not sure of their marketing strategy. Neat, kind of catchy-type bottle label, name, etc., but price point just does not seem to match the product as it is now presented.

[ILLfarmboy]

When you take young juice, I think Rye One is four and a half years old, that's by all accounts so so, put it in a fancy bottle with the words "ultra-premium" on the label, and give it an ultra-premium price point, you are selling an image. If you're selling a rough and tumble image. (I'm a bad-ass cuz I drink Jack Daniel's) it works a lot better. But if the image is "ultra-premium"..."I'm a discerning consumer" the juice in the bottle, while it can fall a bit short in the eyes of discerning enthusiasts, has to be good enough to pull it off with the wider buying public. Think Maker's Mark.

Plus, once the whiskey is out of the bottle and in your glass, the jig is up, and the bottle starts looking more pretentious than handsome. The blunt claim of "ultra-premium" as opposed to some indirect verbiage about "handmade" this or "small batch" that, just makes it look all the more so.

[jburlowski]

When you take young juice, I think Rye One is four and a half years old, that's by all accounts so so, put it in a fancy bottle with the words "ultra-premium" on the label, and give it an ultra-premium price point, you are selling an image. If you're selling a rough and tumble image. (I'm a bad-ass cuz I drink Jack Daniel's) it works a lot better. But if the image is "ultra-premium"..."I'm a discerning consumer" the juice in the bottle, while it can fall a bit short in the eyes of discerning enthusiasts, has to be good enough to pull it off with the wider buying public. Think Maker's Mark.

Plus, once the whiskey is out of the bottle and in your glass, the jig is up, and the bottle starts looking more pretentious than handsome. The blunt claim of "ultra-premium" as opposed to some indirect verbiage about "handmade" this or "small batch" that, just makes it look all the more so.

I agree, Brad. But since this approach has worked so well for all the "premium" vodkas (i.e, bulk GNS in a fancy bottle); I'm not surprised that Beam gave it a try.

[RamblinWreck007]

Bought a bottle of this for my brother's Christmas present. Thankfully, he gave me a glass when he opened it. Really enjoyed it, but the $44 I paid for it in Michigan kinda limits me on future supplies.

[flsean]

I'll admit that I like this stuff, although the label is a bit pretentious and, I think, marketed towards a group of people not likely to drink it like most of us would. They seem to me to be marketing this for its ability to make a good cocktail, which it somewhat succeeds at. But, in doing some heads up Manhattan comparisons, I found that the difference between this and WT and Michters was not that great. However, I can see someone in a city bar ordering a (ri)1 Manhattan as opposed to a WT one if he was trying to impress his hipster friends who don't know the first thing about whisky.

Is it worth 40 plus bucks a bottle though? hell no. The only bottle I bought was because I got it at a liquor store that had it marked at $15 since they got it for free when they purchased a case of something else. When I want a bit or rye flavor and spice, it fits the bill, but isn't 20 bucks better than WT Michter's rye.

Frankly, I expect that it will stick around for a few more years till stocks run dry, but wouldn't be surprised if they pulled the plug on this one soon.

[cowdery]

I don't think Beam has given up on it yet, but it doesn't seem to be catching on. The timing may have been bad, vis a vis the economy. The target, I think, is people who are caught up in the cocktail thing and decide they need a rye, even though they've never had one before, and they buy this because it seems to fit with the vodkas, rums, tequilas, vermouths, liqueurs and other spirits they own for their cocktailing adventures. The problem is, cocktailers start out in bars and bars aren't using it. They're using Rittenhouse BIB, Wild Turkey Rye, Jim Beam Rye, and Sazerac Rye (Saz Jr). If it doesn't catch on in the hot cocktail bars, people won't buy bottles for at home.

[RamblinWreck007]

I don't think Beam has given up on it yet, but it doesn't seem to be catching on. The timing may have been bad, vis a vis the economy. The target, I think, is people who are caught up in the cocktail thing and decide they need a rye, even though they've never had one before, and they buy this because it seems to fit with the vodkas, rums, tequilas, vermouths, liqueurs and other spirits they own for their cocktailing adventures. The problem is, cocktailers start out in bars and bars aren't using it. They're using Rittenhouse BIB, Wild Turkey Rye, Jim Beam Rye, and Sazerac Rye (Saz Jr). If it doesn't catch on in the hot cocktail bars, people won't buy bottles for at home.

Do you know if (ri)1 is the same "juice" as the regular Jim Beam Rye, just at a different age/profile? I don't recall an age statement on the bottle of (ri) that I bought as a Christmas present and that's the only time I've laid eyes on a bottle of the stuff. That, and the review over at LiquorSnob.

[cowdery]

Yes, it's the same juice, different age/profile. That's straight from Fred Noe.

[loose proton]

Yes, it's the same juice, different age/profile...

Does this mean they just let some barrels age longer, or do they check/taste barrels for a particular flavor and let chosen barrels age longer?