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Rémy Martin unveils revamped VSOP
Rémy Martin has announced a new expression of its VSOP designed to cater for European palates and renew interest in Cognac as a category.
The VSOP Mature Cask Finish is, in effect, the same as the current VSOP but it spends its finishing period of one year in 20-year-old Limousin oak casks, rather than larger oak vats.
The new expression is designed to have more fruit characteristics, particularly peach and apricot, due to greater interaction between the Cognac and the air that the final ageing period in cask provides.
The packaging has also changed, bringing in a clear bottle with an embossed centaur.
Changing consumer tastes in Europe and the need to attract new and younger drinkers to the category was the reason given for the change.
Rémy CEO Patrice Piana explained that this relatively minor change was necessary in order to remain relevant to modern consumers.
He said: “You have to be able to revisit your classics. We have to ask ‘How de we make it contemporary?’ To remain the same we have to re-invent ourselves.”
He also emphasised the importance of Europe, which makes up 20% of Rémy’s value sales and stated that as a European company, Rémy’s first commitment was to European consumers.
“Being a prominent player in Europe it is our responsibility to continue to invest and innovate in the EU,” he said.
“Many brands consider the EU a mature market and put all their effort into emerging markets.
“However, the first countries we need to be successful are France, the UK, Germany and Benelux. From there we can go to North America, Eastern Europe and Asia.”
The rise in popularity of cocktails and experimentation with different spirits in recipes has been particularly noted by the house and it is hoped that the new flavour profile will make it “ideal” in cocktails.
Rémy Martin has highlighted four recipes in particular: French Mojito, Sidecar, Rémy sour and Iced Tea.
The current VSOP expression will continue to be sold throughout the rest of the world depite its removal from the European market.
The changeover in Europe will be accompanied by numerous tasting and educational events to make sure that consumers and the trade alike understand the difference between the outgoing VSOP and the new mature cask finish version.
New stocks will arrive from February 2012, the RRP will remain the same at £32.99.
Neat packaging, and very classy looking. Remy certainly know how to make an impression.
ruined it !!! 🙁
So I am done with the trade I used to drink for 35 years!
Ugly cheap looking bottle and a different taste.
If I wanted a different taste I would have bought a different taste, wouldn’t I?
Edmund
Big mistake Patricia, The original bottle was synonomous with Remy Martin VSOP. Most other brandy bottles are clear glass so straight away it loses its unique look and class. Re taste definitely not as nice. When you have been enjoying Remy for approx 30 years and drinking no other brandy this is a big dissapointment, like losing an old friend. You may be gaining younger customers but me at 50 you have lost, as there is not the same distinct look or taste. I may as well drink any brandy now. If any one can tell me where i might be able to get the green bottle in Ireland, please do.
Yours in Brandy
Thérese
both myself and the wife agree with your comments, we would only purchase the GREEN bottle, and the only place we have found it is airport shops as recent as last week , £50 each or 2 for £80
Miss the green bottled remy so much. Just ordered one on Amazon only to receive the “Clear bottle” & was told they are the same. Hmm they certainly don’t taste the same.
Please bring back the old Remy.
Will not be buying the new stuff again as it’s not a patch on the green bottle. I have two friends how also will not drink the “new expression”. I agree that Remy should bring back the old VSOP.
I totally agree the Green bottle Remy tastes miles better than the clear one, Its blatantly obvious
My husband and I totally agree with the comments above. We have been searching all of our local shops for the green bottled version and it is getting harder to find. The taste is definitely inferior, in the new packaging, even though we have been told that “it is the same” – it certainly isn’t!!! Why change a winning formular – we will need to find an alternative now, what a shame and what a strange marketing decision.
OK! You may attract some younger customers but, as you may read in the comments above, you are going to lose many of the older ones. The new bottle lacks class as it seems to contain just an ordinary liquor, but the worse of all is the changement of the taste. Thanks a lot, there are other cognac brands who keep their tradition and respect their product as well as their customers. Drinking a glass of real cognac is a personal tradition of enjoyment not just a fashion. More than that never forget that the younger customers will always follow the advise of the older connaisseurs. I bid you a sad farewell wishing you all the best with your new product.
The absurd thing, is you can still purchase the proper “frosted green bottle” version providing you do not live in Europe. Everywhere else in the world gets the decent stuff, but a gaudy shiny label is apparently supposed to appeal to the younger market.
THAT I could live with – I am not too obsessed with the bottle – though the older, frosted green design was vastly more stylish. My issue is that the new formulation tasted like a cross between a mid-range brandy, mixed with an unremarkable “smoky / peaty whisky”.
Utterly ruined it. I have (very) grudgingly switched to Courvosier which although I feel was inferior to the “frosted bottle VSOP”, seems miles better to me, than the smokey stuff that comes out of the gaudy looking bottle.
I would have *though* the sensible approach would have been to continue to provide the original VSOP for the millions of loyal consumers – and then ALSO make available the gaudy looking smokey experiment for their new target audience.
As it is, most of the younger crowd now seem to prefer Courvosier (Remy isn’t even on the shelf now in most of the pubs in town) – and nowadays, I have to say I agree with them.
Why change a well loved product that obviously attracted loyal customers? The new bottle looks cheap and it’s not as if EU bureaucrats have demanded a revised concoction (at least I don’t think so). You don’t see quality car makers redesigning their logos but they seem to attract younger people just the same and if you want to expand your market, offer the New Cask Finish alongside the old and trusted (and where’s the old VS?), competitively priced to steal market share from Courvosier or Martell etc.
This obsession with ‘change’ and ‘growth’ and ‘youth’ is unhealthy and rudely ignores those discerning more mature adults. The way young people (or those who can afford it) hoover back alcohol and the ghastly sweet things they add to their supposed cocktails makes me wonder whether they know the difference between quality and cooking brandy.
Patrice Piana obviously comes from the same business school as Walsh and Cruz – intent on providing cheap and nasty services and products at one end with ludicrously expensive ones at the rarefied top end.
recently bougt the VSOP the old smooth taste is gone ! it taste like a cheap corn whisky now ! count me out