New EC NAS bottle design

[dcbt]

Over / under of a price increase along with it?...

 

http://www.thespiritsbusiness.com/2016/10/heaven-hill-redesigns-elijah-craig-small-batch/

[Niner Outlaw]

I like the new bottle design. It's clean and classy. 

[meadeweber]

Anyone else been thinking about how much cleaner things would have been if the drop in age statement coincided with the new bottle design?  Would have been easier for HH not to have to produce a new label that was only used for what less than a year.  Also, it would have been quite useful 10 years or so from now when people are hunting "dusty" EC.  Old bottle would have equaled 12 y/o, new bottle would be NAS. 

[Richnimrod]

'Today's discerning Bourbon drinker' apparently cares more for the bottle description than the Bourbon inside said bottle.    I'm not sure what this says about this drinker... or me, since I do not agree with any of this Bullshirt.

[Paddy]

^^^^Good point, but this way they get to clear out their 'old bottle/label' inventory which equates to cost efficiency.

 

I just may have made that up, but it sounds good!   

[B.B. Babington]

 

33 minutes ago, Richnimrod said:

'Today's discerning Bourbon drinker' apparently cares more for the bottle description than the Bourbon inside said bottle....

I'd pay a premium for a cool bottle like this one:

Edited October 11, 2016 by B.B. Babington

[lcpfratn]

I don't expect a price change with this new bottle design, but I do think this is the precursor to the reintroduction of EC12 at a higher price.

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[PaulO]

I've seen some of the new EC bottles out in the wild as of a week or two ago.

[jeffrey r]

All well and good, but I'll just keep picking up more age stated EC12 until they disappear--old bottle and all...

[Hop]

I too like the new bottle but wish they would have taken the opportunity to change out the cork to a normal size instead of the "honker" they use today

[B.B. Babington]

or gone to twist top

[BDanner]

This new design will keep me from fruitlessly turning every bottle on the shelf around looking for the 12 year age statement at least. 

[Kpiz]

I don't expect a price change with this new bottle design, but I do think this is the precursor to the reintroduction of EC12 at a higher price.

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Well said. When they did the price hike for EC18 they just pulled it off the shelf for a while, then reintroduced it at 3x the price. I guess at least with EC12 they've spruced up the packaging?

With that said, I'm neutral on the new bottle. It'll fit better on the shelf, which is good, but I'll be buying much less of it, so it doesn't really matter how well it fits on my shelf.

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[garbanzobean]

It looks like EC and Bernheim bottles made a baby.

[amg]

These are already on shelves here. Price is the same. New labels are fine but I think the bottle itself is pretty ugly.

[petrel800]

I'm just curious with all the changes to bottles lately if retailers are complaining about shelf space.  Seems like a good number of the odd shaped wide bottles are getting a makeover.

[Clueby]

I haven't seen the new bottle in the wild yet. I turned around a bunch of bottles today looking for an age statement on the back. Then I noticed a glass cabinet that had bottles of red letter 12 in it for $99 and bottles of the age statement on the back for $89. I quit turning bottles around at that point.

[Kepler]

I don't give a rat's a$s. Heaven Hill are so full of bulls--t.  As soon as the NAS news came out a long time ago I immediately went out and stocked up on the 12 year. I have a case and a half bunkered, so I'm good - for life. I won't be buying anymore Elijah Craig probably ever. HH burned bridges with a lot of customers with their bold-faced lies only months before removing the age statement.

[Golzee]

16 minutes ago, Kepler said:

I don't give a rat's a$s. Heaven Hill are so full of bulls--t.  As soon as the NAS news came out a long time ago I immediately went out and stocked up on the 12 year. I have a case and a half bunkered, so I'm good - for life. I won't be buying anymore Elijah Craig probably ever. HH burned bridges with a lot of customers with their bold-faced lies only months before removing the age statement.

 

 

 

It's a business, change happens.  You can be bitter or accept it, new/old products come and go.  Yes, HH could have been more straight forward with how they handled the EC12 transition, but, they weren't.  Accept the market as it is, there are still quality products on the shelf.  Don't linger in the past, just pour another drink and enjoy.

[Kepler]

9 minutes ago, Golzee said:

there are still quality products on the shelf.  Don't linger in the past, just pour another drink and enjoy.

I am.  I spend my money on other products. I can always pull out an EC12 from the bunker whenever I feel like it. I'm not boycotting EC or HH, I just don't plan on purchasing higher priced but inferior versions of their previous stuff immediately after they lied through their teeth. I have plenty of their 12 year product for $25 or less since I purchased in bulk. I'm not impressed by their fancy bottle full of inferior juice.

[GaryT]

On 10/12/2016 at 1:39 PM, petrel800 said:

I'm just curious with all the changes to bottles lately if retailers are complaining about shelf space.  Seems like a good number of the odd shaped wide bottles are getting a makeover.

 

This would seem to make sense (not sure if the retailers were complaining, but some ambitious engineer might have calculated how many more bottles they can fit in a case, or how much smaller the cases have to be).  I'm sure there is some marketing push to the "refresh" to attract attention of those who've passed it up previously, but I wouldn't be surprised if some shape inefficiencies also came into play.  

 

We should start taking bets on the next "different" shaped bottle design to get a makeover.  I hope it isn't WTKS!  Maybe 1792?

[BigRich]

 

This would seem to make sense (not sure if the retailers were complaining, but some ambitious engineer might have calculated how many more bottles they can fit in a case, or how much smaller the cases have to be).  I'm sure there is some marketing push to the "refresh" to attract attention of those who've passed it up previously, but I wouldn't be surprised if some shape inefficiencies also came into play.  

 

We should start taking bets on the next "different" shaped bottle design to get a makeover.  I hope it isn't WTKS!  Maybe 1792?

I needs to be that damn thing that they put Willet Pot Still in. Just a stupid bottle in my opinion.

[lcpfratn]

I needs to be that damn thing that they put Willet Pot Still in. Just a stupid bottle in my opinion.

I actually think the Willet bottle is unique and beautiful, but I don't buy Willet because it is just so-so bourbon in a bottle that takes up way too much space on the bar. If it was really good or special bourbon, I would consider buying it and enjoy the "specialty" bottle.

[lcpfratn]

It's a business, change happens.  You can be bitter or accept it, new/old products come and go.  Yes, HH could have been more straight forward with how they handled the EC12 transition, but, they weren't.  Accept the market as it is, there are still quality products on the shelf.  Don't linger in the past, just pour another drink and enjoy.

You are right, it is a business, which means it is not good business to piss off your best customers like HH did with the EC12 fiasco. I don't know if this will impact the revenues of HH in the long term or not, but I suspect it might. BT/Sazerac seems to be doing a much better job of managing their business, albeit with allocated supplies in many cases, but I don't see them shooting themselves in the foot like HH has done unless you feel that the BT supply limitations are artificially manufactured to stimulate demand.

Beam/Suntory's removal of the age statement on the base KC is not great news, but at least they were honest and upfront about doing it. And they still have the age stated KCSB and the store pick KCSBs are fantastic in most cases and have become one of my daily favorites...along with my bunkered EC12. [emoji6]

[GaryT]

4 hours ago, BigRich said:

I needs to be that damn thing that they put Willet Pot Still in. Just a stupid bottle in my opinion.

 

Mmmm . . .. Willett Pot Swill . . . now we know what to get you for your birthday