UPDATE 5/24/2007

I didn't do the blind taste test, just a side by side.

Now they seem exactly the same. The downside is that neither has that blossoming aromatic bouquet I used to find in the "Aged 12 Years" bottles I ran out of recently. I'm curious about that, but I'm now fairly confident that it's the same rum with a different label.

Sorry for the false alarm.

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Original Post 5/22/2007

Well, clearly the label has changed. I didn't actually pay attention until one day I noticed that my usual Extra topper was lacking its usual aromatic bouquet, its smoothness, and characteristic flavor.

I thought that was odd, then I looked at the bottle and noticed that the "Aged 12 Years" was missing. Here is a pic of the two side by side.

After reading both labels front and back, the "Aged 12 years" bottle makes no mention of being blended with rums up to 18 years old. The newer label (on the right) does not specify any particular aging, although the "Extra" label beneath the neck says "aged to perfection," whatever that means. On the back of the new label bottle in fine print it says that the contents includes rum that has been aged up to 18 years.

At this point, I do not think that "Aged 12 Years" Extra and the new Extra are the same. The old one is much better. Of course, the new one costs the same and has the same SKU, but I don't think it's the same product. The empty "Aged 12 Years" bottle I retrieved from my recycle bin has a much finer aroma than that of the new Extra I'm using now.

As soon as I can put my hands on another "Aged 12 Years" bottle, I'll conduct a blind scent and taste test. Maybe some of you might want to test them as well. Maybe you have already, or maybe you know why the label and possibly product has changed through some other means.

One of the things I've always liked about the "Aged 12 Years" Extra is that its wonderful aroma arises from a shot glass like a blossoming aura. The new Extra just sits there. You pretty much have to shove your nose into it to catch its scent, which doesn't seem to be in bloom. I'm still topping with it, but now I'm consciously skeptical with each drop I pour. Maybe it's just my imagination running away with me.

Anyone else having a similar experience or can shed some light on this dilemma?

[ Edited by: The Gnomon 2007-05-24 09:03 ]

Haven't noticed. Thanks for the tip though. I'll have to keep my eyes out for that one. On my last trip to Hi Times, I found a bottle of Appleton 21 year rum! It was $100 so I had to leave it behind, but I'm going to ransom that bottle one of these days.

Sorry the Extra in the UK still has the 12 year marked on the label.

My wife bought me a bottle of the 21 year for my birthday a few months ago $160 in the UK!!!!!!!
It is good stuff though.

I'm almost 100% certain the one on the right is the older label. That's the way I remember it for at least the last 5 years (and I go through a LOT of this stuff in my home bar), and the one you're showing on the left is the redesign that's been out for maybe the last year or so. So the one you don't like is old product! I've never noticed a difference, maybe your "new" bottle is some really old stock that got opened or something. I don't know if that makes you feel any better or not...

I'm with Quince. That's what I seem to remember, too - I was subconsciously surprised by the very dark label when I got my last bottle, but didn't think much about it until now.

And the bottle on the left is what is currently displayed on Appleton's website: http://www.appletonrumus.com/images/bot_extra.jpg

So I'd say that the bottle on the right is the old one.

On 2007-05-22 13:59, Kon-Hemsby wrote:
Sorry the Extra in the UK still has the 12 year marked on the label.

My wife bought me a bottle of the 21 year for my birthday a few months ago $160 in the UK!!!!!!!
It is good stuff though.

You better start saving for the 25YO KH