Huge price increase in Mt Gay Extra

[bluewave6]

Has anyone else noticed a jump in the price of Mt Gay Extra Old? In mt neck of the woods all the prices have jumped from around $28 to around $46 :eek:. I noticed on some of the online places I shop the prices have gone up to over $50. Wonder if they are trying to position it as more of a "premium" rum. I really enjoy this rum but for almost $50 a pop now, will probably not be keeping this one as an everyday sipping rum.

[Rum Runner Imports]

No sympathy from north of the border!


Kidding, that sucks!

It will be interesting to see what the rest of the MoR says from the different regions of the US.

That puts it over the current price here of 43 cnd (35.8usd) by a long shot. We may follow suit though...boo :(

[TheRumelier]

I have yet to see it in the new bottle, but this could be part of the reason for the price increase. I have not noticed the increase here but we still have the old bottle. Unfortunately it costs a great deal of money to create a new bottle and it is usually the poor old consumer who ends up footing the bill for its development.:(

[curoswiss]

That puts it over the current price here of 43 cnd (35.8usd) by a long shot. We may follow suit though...boo :(

God I hope not...

[srnadel]

Has anyone else noticed a jump in the price of Mt Gay Extra Old? In mt neck of the woods all the prices have jumped from around $28 to around $46 :eek:. I noticed on some of the online places I shop the prices have gone up to over $50. Wonder if they are trying to position it as more of a "premium" rum. I really enjoy this rum but for almost $50 a pop now, will probably not be keeping this one as an everyday sipping rum.
We just had a $15/bottle price increase. That's a sure fire way to kill sales.

[Vanpatt]

Time to stock up then while our prices are relatively low. I'm sure the higher pricing will follow here as well.

[curoswiss]

Time to stock up then while our prices are relatively low. I'm sure the higher pricing will follow here as well.

Sad but true..

[rumdog46]

As I think Mt Gay Extra is a very good rum I don't feel it's worth a $15 price jump in the least bit just because they decided to reinvent the bottle.

I think they did a major tactical error in raising the price on it especially when the economy is doing so poor. I can think of many other rums I enjoy equally that have a cheaper price tag.

A $15 price jump is outrageous to say the least.

That's my 2 cents and I'm sticking to it.

[Hank Koestner]

I will have to check locally to see if it has changed here. I really like this rum, but it would be hard to lay 50eek.gif on the counter after paying around 35 for so long.:mad:

[newdayrising]

I don't remember exactly what it used to be, but it was somewhere in the mid-30s. A few weeks ago I payed $44. The new bottle is snazzy, but I'll take the old bottle at 30-something any day.

[Paul C]

Zacapa 23, Oronoco, Mount Gay Extra Old - escalations - the world is catching on to rum. It's a damn shame.

pbc

[RobertBurr]

Zacapa 23, Oronoco, Mount Gay Extra Old - escalations - the world is catching on to rum. It's a damn shame.

pbc

Those who love these fine, relatively expensive rums must admit: rum as a category is cheaper than most other categories. With scotch, the good stuff starts at $60 to $75; tequila, vodka and gin as well.

[gatomalo]

I've never bought the Mount Gay XO, but I have been thinking about getting a bottle recently to enjoy whilst watching the cricket (see Cricket and rum thread). The price seems to have been steady for a while at around £26, but recently I've noticed an increase to over £30 at some internet retailers, perhaps as a result of the re-branding. This increase does not seem as steep as that which some of you have reported, but it still makes a big differnce as it takes the rum into another price category, meaning it is now competing against a different level of rum. I wonder if we'll see any further increases? The best price I can find right now in London is £25.50 (The Vintage House, Soho) but this may be the old bottle. I've decided I'll go and pick one up while it's still (hopefully) at this price.

[bobt]

Still $38.95 here in Winnipeg, Canadian dollars of course.

[Dr Beat]

Here in France the Mount Gay Extra Old is at the same price than a Macallan 12 yo, around 50 Euros. Sounds logical and doesn't surprise me.
No new bottle yet as far as I know. I pay it because it worth it. Probably in the past Rums, rhums and rones were the poor children of the spirit family. It seems that it is not the case anymore.
I noticed quality improvement in the rum industry and it is logical to pay the price.
Cheer mates

[Rum Runner Imports]

I emailed the Mt. Gay folks and they confirmed that the repackaging
"may" cause a price increase in Canada depending on the distributor.

*Speaking in general as a distributor, you can be sure I wouldn't be taking the hit, and the price would definitely go up.

The BCLDB's next scheduled price increase
will be May 3rd (the cut off for that was March 4th) and then again some time in July, my guess it will be either
one of these dates.

So if you enjoy Mt. Gay XO, but not (70 dollar?) Mt. Gay XO then you better think about loading up the cellar soon.

[rumdog46]

AS I said earlier, it's a nice rum I enjoy but definately won't rush to stock up on it or pay $50 or $70 for it either as there are way to many other great rums on the market. I think if Mt Gay has visions of boosting sales with this new bottle they are mistaken. Serious would you pay $15 or more just for a new bottle? It's not like the did something different to what's inside as there is no reason to mess with whats not broken.

[D.B.Cooper]

Those who love these fine, relatively expensive rums must admit: rum as a category is cheaper than most other categories. With scotch, the good stuff starts at $60 to $75; tequila, vodka and gin as well.

Do not forget bourbon. As a long time bourbon drinker I switched to my second love of rum when I started to notice price increases in bourbon that had no merit.

[Dr Beat]

Is there any other price increase in the rums?

[Dr Beat]

Those who love these fine, relatively expensive rums must admit: rum as a category is cheaper than most other categories. With scotch, the good stuff starts at $60 to $75; tequila, vodka and gin as well.

And for Gin and Vodka there is no aging!!!! and for the last one sales are still booming instead of high price.
Hard to understand something here...

[JMac]

AS I said earlier, it's a nice rum I enjoy but definately won't rush to stock up on it or pay $50 or $70 for it either as there are way to many other great rums on the market. I think if Mt Gay has visions of boosting sales with this new bottle they are mistaken. Serious would you pay $15 or more just for a new bottle? It's not like the did something different to what's inside as there is no reason to mess with whats not broken.

I love Mt Gay but I agree with the above.....I'll be sticking to the Eclipse...

[srnadel]

Personally, I think bourbon is a little different. Bourbon price increases were a result of supply. There just isn't enough aged bourbon supply the demand. They had no idea bourbon was going to be so popular when they barrelled it 10-20 years ago. I used to get as much Pappy 20yr as I wanted and now I'm lucky if I get 5 cases a year. Tequila had the same issues about 10 years ago. Rum doesn't seem to have that problem, which makes me STILL wonder why they had such a huge price increase.

[Vanpatt]

Anyone have a pic of the new bottle/packaging so I can see why I'll be paying more?

[Rum Runner Imports]

this thread has the image:

http://www.ministryofrum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2289&highlight=mount+gay

[RobertBurr]

regarding price increases: some brands, for various reasons, come to believe their products are under-priced and under-valued, to their long-term detriment.

Phil Prichard makes a great double barreled bourbon. It's expensive to make. He was selling it for $48 a bottle and would regularly do tastings in liquor stores across the country comparing it to bottles of other fine bourbons that cost $75 or more. Ironically, when he upped the price to $75, he began selling more since it was now perceived as one of the finest on the shelf.

Brands that are sold below value, in my area include Diplomatico, El Dorado, Botran, Appleton, Doorly's and Barcelo. A casual shopper might perceive these as lesser products. A very expensive bottle may be perceived as a treasure.

When Mount Gay's new 1703 rum is released soon, the pricing on the XO may settle back down a bit.

[Rum Runner]

regarding price increases: some brands, for various reasons, come to believe their products are under-priced and under-valued, to their long-term detriment.

That is a very good point Robert. I believe Mt Gay had held the low price point on the XO for too long. I have no problem with them re-positioning a very high quality rum. I may have wished they had adjusted upward in stages...instead of a chunk.


Phil Prichard makes a great double barreled bourbon. It's expensive to make. He was selling it for $48 a bottle and would regularly do tastings in liquor stores across the country comparing it to bottles of other fine bourbons that cost $75 or more. Ironically, when he upped the price to $75, he began selling more since it was now perceived as one of the finest on the shelf.

I have seen this phenomena before. I often scratch my head and wonder if increased sales are due to the "casual" buyer who is gifting or experimenting...or to the "aficionado" who has been a long time customer? Possibly both?

Brands that are sold below value, in my area include Diplomatico, El Dorado, Botran, Appleton, Doorly's and Barcelo. A casual shopper might perceive these as lesser products. A very expensive bottle may be perceived as a treasure.

I agree..To those in the know, the above will be perceived as excellent values.

When Mount Gay's new 1703 rum is released soon, the pricing on the XO may settle back down a bit.

Your insights are valued. Thanks!

[Schock Therapy]

Well, I'm not taking any chances! I picked up a couple of bottles today at the old price, and will probably pick up a couple more if stocks last. I know I won't be buying it very much if prices jump $20-30 per bottle, and it is one of my favorites!

[Carbon]

It went from $40 to over $45 over here in Oregon. This is one of the rums I don't buy in this state, though because of the offensive price disparity between here and states without state-controlled liquor. They just upped the price to El Dorado 15 to $54.15 or something close. It's a great rum, but I'm not going to pay that kind of money when it can be had in California for $30 or less.

[Dr Beat]

Personally, I think bourbon is a little different. Bourbon price increases were a result of supply. There just isn't enough aged bourbon supply the demand. They had no idea bourbon was going to be so popular when they barrelled it 10-20 years ago. I used to get as much Pappy 20yr as I wanted and now I'm lucky if I get 5 cases a year. Tequila had the same issues about 10 years ago. Rum doesn't seem to have that problem, which makes me STILL wonder why they had such a huge price increase.

Which is true for Bourbon is true for Rum.
Rum is really now a hot category and there is tension on the demand.
I don't know if it is linked or not but prices of molasses are higher and higher even if oil is going down.
if somebody has a clue on that???
Cheers

[Dr Beat]

It went from $40 to over $45 over here in Oregon. This is one of the rums I don't buy in this state, though because of the offensive price disparity between here and states without state-controlled liquor. They just upped the price to El Dorado 15 to $54.15 or something close. It's a great rum, but I'm not going to pay that kind of money when it can be had in California for $30 or less.

Price consistency is key in all brands and it is true that is deteriorating loyalty when not consistent..

[rumdog007]

I love Mt Gay but I agree with the above.....I'll be sticking to the Eclipse...


You are a better man than me! I really find the XO a big upgrade. Seriously, I flat out love it. I stocked up on the old bottles at the old price. When they are gone, Mount Gay still has me hooked.....drooling.gif

[bobt]

Turns out that MGXO is quite scarce here in Winnipeg at the moment, but I was able to get the MLCC to deliver two bottles to my door this past Saturday. At the old price of $38 and change.

[Rum Runner Imports]

I was up in Whistler this past weekend (21st) and the gov store up there only has the new bottle in the box....still old bottle price....but as stated before, the price can't change overnight--earliest date for an increase will be mid April.

[curoswiss]

A strange thing happened today while I as was at the Lynn Valley LS to pick up some MG Extra Old.

The girl said "Why is everyone buying MG today?" I said what do you mean? She responded that someone just bought '20' bottles of the same thing earlier in the day...

OK so the word is out... People are stocking up on MG XO in BC...

I'm happy I got 2, tho they have 4 or 5 more... I keep thinking about going back for more...

[curoswiss]

I should also mention that they brought in another 10 or more bottles of Santa Teresa 1796 Antiguo de Solera...

I personally exhausted the 6 or 7 they had in stock. This is a good sign if you ask me...

We drink... they notice and buy more... yay.gif

[Vanpatt]

I was up in Whistler this past weekend (21st) and the gov store up there only has the new bottle in the box....still old bottle price....but as stated before, the price can't change overnight--earliest date for an increase will be mid April.

I'm heading up to Whistler this weekend, which store was it in (Marketplace, Village or Creekside?

I also saw the old MG XO bottles on sale at a gov store on Hastings in North Burnaby for about $38, they're having a renovation sale but beyond this deal there is nothing else really worth mentioning for rum.

[battsrock]

I heard that their new product 1703 will be at 99.99 US$ on shelves...Anyone heard anything about it ?

[Rum Runner Imports]

I'm heading up to Whistler this weekend, which store was it in (Marketplace, Village or Creekside?

The village square, in the same complex as "the grocery store".

[Rum Runner Imports]

The girl said "Why is everyone buying MG today?"

Did you tell her a price jump is anticipated? If so--what did she think of that?

[curoswiss]

Did you tell her a price jump is anticipated? If so--what did she think of that?

Yes I did, the new bottle etc... She was shocked that it would be so much for a bottle.

Cheers,

[Vanpatt]

Does anyone think the older bottle will end up as a collectors item? Is it worth purchasing a few to hold on to for this purpose? Otherwise I think I'll just stock up on the new bottles before the proposed price increase comes into effect here.

[Jason]

What?!?! I don't remember authorizing this! Not impressed...

Here in Edmonton I haven't seen any sign of the new bottle, or the price increase. I just picked up 2 of the now old bottles on my way home today. They're still going to $40CAD here.

[Saxman]

Hmmmm, I cant seem to find any of the new bottles in the Abbotsford or Langley yet, guess I have to wait. MG 1703 rum? Any one have any info on this yet to be released sipper ;-)

[srnadel]

I just got a visit from the CFO from Remy-Cointreau, which owns Appleton. He was asking why his brands were down in sales. I showed him this thread. He was amazed as to the response on the site. I was amazed he was amazed.

[TheRumelier]

[QUOTE=srnadel;23996]I just got a visit from the CFO from Remy-Cointreau, which owns Appleton. QUOTE]

I think you mean Remy-Cointreau own Mount Gay?? Angostura now own Appleton.
We still have the old bottles so the price is the same. I have asked our purchaser to let me know when he does his next order and let me know of any price increases so I can load up. I spy four damaged bottles in my warehouse, I smell a good deal coming up!!glass.gif

[Michael]

The Rumelier is correct:

Mount Gay by Remy Cointreau (http://www.remy-cointreau.com/en/le-groupe/the-brands/liqueurs-and-spirits/liqueurs-and-spirits/)

[Saxman]

I think the only way the old bottles will be viewed as a collectors item worth something would be is they were unopened and say put away for 10+ years. I am just waiting to get my hands on the new bottle here to add to the collection.

[RobertBurr]

I am informed by reliable sources that Mount Gay XO has increased from $42 to $46 per bottle, average retail. The new 1703 should be priced at $99.

Does that seem right?

Mount Gay 1703 will debut at Rum Renaissance Miami on May 16.

[Vanpatt]

I am informed by reliable sources that Mount Gay XO has increased from $42 to $46 per bottle, average retail. The new 1703 should be priced at $99.

Does that seem right?

Mount Gay 1703 will debut at Rum Renaissance Miami on May 16.

That doesn't sound too bad of an increase; I think we find out here on April 1st or the 15th what the damage will be.

For all of us not fortunate enough to attend the mecca of rum "Rum Renaissance Miami", please send us your thoughts/tasting notes.

[RobertBurr]

For all of us not fortunate enough to attend the mecca of rum "Rum Renaissance Miami", please send us your thoughts/tasting notes.

Of course, that's the least we can do. We'll report on all the latest new developments at Rum Renaissance. We're expecting some interesting announcements.

[curoswiss]

I am informed by reliable sources that Mount Gay XO has increased from $42 to $46 per bottle, average retail. The new 1703 should be priced at $99.

Does that seem right?

Mount Gay 1703 will debut at Rum Renaissance Miami on May 16.

That doesn't sound bad at all.

[D.B.Cooper]

On a good note my local store lowered the price of the Eclipse and Silver by $4.00. Now if only they would see fit to lower the Sugar Cane.

[Hank Koestner]

Today at Total Wine in Orlando, Mount Gay still in the old bottle at 42.99.
The last bottle I purchased about three months ago in the same place was 36.99. Last I checked at Joseph's Liquors it was 39.99.
Looking forward to the 1703 at Rum Renaissance.

[Matusalem]

Watched this with some interest and curious how much audience the price increase killed? From what I'm hearing in person, the increase has effected the buying psychology.

[krustykrab]

The price increase has gone into effect in NH - up to $43 a bottle, but I was able to purchase a few bottles of the old style here in MA last night for $30 each!!

[bobt]

In my last post on this thread, back in March, I mentioned that MGXO was costing 38 and change. Just checked the MLCC website, it has only gone up about a dollar since then. Breathing a sigh of relief that one of my faves is staying reasonably priced.

[Rum Runner]

In my last post on this thread, back in March, I mentioned that MGXO was costing 38 and change. Just checked the MLCC website, it has only gone up about a dollar since then. Breathing a sigh of relief that one of my faves is staying reasonably priced.

Hi bobt. I'm curious if the MLCC is working through old stock? Is the new bottle showing up at this price point?


By Matusalem
Watched this with some interest and curious how much audience the price increase killed? From what I'm hearing in person, the increase has effected the buying psychology.

I think one problem MGXO encountered may be that they held their old price point too long and found themselves undervalued in some markets compared to other products. Repositioning with a large price increase is always difficult. But the quality is still there and worth the price in my opinion.

[bobt]

Hi bobt. I'm curious if the MLCC is working through old stock? Is the new bottle showing up at this price point?




Here's the catch: the stores don't seem to have stock most of the time, I got the latest price off of the website but have not actually seen any bottles. My local LC hasn't had it for months. This coming weekend I will check out a couple more stores and see what's there.

[Jason]

So far I haven't seen the new bottles around here either. In fact, I haven't seen any bottles of XO in quite some time... Till last week when I found a Liquor World that still had a bunch on the shelf. $36CAD was the price, which is actually the cheapest I've ever seen it here.

[bobt]

Hi RumRunner, I did some checking in a couple of MLCC stores today, and it seems that the old bottle is the only bottle. I found about six of them in total.

The one rep I spoke to didn't know anything about the new bottle style.

Might be a good idea for me to grab a couple more when I have some spare cash.

[Rum Runner]

Sounds like a good plan Bobt.

[rumdog007]

I've seen the price of Mt. Gay all over the map, old and new bottles. A few places carry the new and old at $28.99. Then, some shops will have the new bottle for $45. I am not even counting the crazy closeout that Von/Safeway that I found a few months back, $13, I recall (old and new). Bevmo has the new bottles for $35.

[forrest]

rumdog007--super shopper!

[TheRumelier]

We fianlly got our new stock in, including the new bottle. It looks better in person, very heavy!! We retail it for US$29.99. Price has not really gone up here though:D.

[gatomalo]

It seems to have shot up by around GBP5 in the UK.