MagmaTM - "Hell Fire in a bottle"

MAGMATM - "HELL FIRE IN A BOTTLE" Six weeks after its UK launch to the drinks trade, MagmaTM - the cinnamon based shot brand which has an 'after burn' like a Tornado jet fighter - has been slammed by some of the establishment as possibly the worst tasting spirit drink in the UK! A team of influential commentators writing in The Grocer, a well- respected weekly 'bible' for the grocery industry has slammed MagmaTM as "the most noxious, nauseating and comprehensively disgusting concoction possible". Another member of the tasting panel said MagmaTM was "absolutely awful" while another described the brand as "Hell fire in a bottle". The last member of the tasting panel, a partner in a double glazing business in Truro, Cornwall and a target consumer said "that Magma was more a knock and chew rather than knock straight back" and that "the cinnamon flavour", a core brand characteristic, "had a kick not unlike a Blackpool pleasure beach mule" he went on "Magma's full power kicks in with mouth burning chilli". Forming part of The Grocer's regular analysis of drinks products on the market, the tasting panel gave MagmaTM the lowest ever score in its history - a mere 14 out of a possible 100 points - half the panel gave it no points at all! But have they missed the point? Is MagmaTM a brand that's gone too far, or is it the spirits industries equivalent of Damien Hurst, the contemporary artist who shocked the art world to its roots with his phenomenally successful cow cutting escapades? "Yes Magma has an unusual taste, and like other beverages it is not going to appeal to everyone, especially the traditionalists. However, give to a bunch of 18-30 tear olds out for a good time on a Friday or Saturday night and the glutinous, red appearance and vivid aftertaste becomes the ultimate drinking challenge" says Jeremy Hill the brand manager responsible for the birth of MagmaTM. "We did a whole load of pre launch taste-tests in bars and clubs and nine out of ten of those who tasted Magma said they liked it and would drink it again and would get their mates to drink it! Incidentally not one of the test groups wore carpet slippers or smoked a pipe (well not during test anyway!). "It's not for me to comment on what The Grocer panel felt about it" continues Hill, "I just know, as do the people of who enjoy the challenge of shots brands, that MagmaTM delivers - it looks unusual, tastes like nothing on earth and has the aftertaste that sends taste buds into meltdown, Yes it's hell-fire in a bottle!". ~ENDS~ Notes to editors 1. See attached full tasting panel article. 2. Magma photography is available on request 3. Samples bottles for tasting purposes available on request For more information and photography please contact: Mark Hunt/ Bryony Wright Jefferson Hunt Communication Consultants Ltd Tel: 01453 827451 / 07768 145583 (M) E-mail: mark@jeffersonhunt.co.uk The Grocer Tasting Panel Commentary Jane Brocket - Master of Wine and freelance wine consultant It is worrying to see to what extent the e-number industry is alive and well. Magma must be the drinks market equivalent of sugar coated coloured confectionery, and if you don't get a buzz from the alcohol, then the e-numbers will certainly get you. Magma looks and pours like semi-set jelly. In fact, the word frogspawn came to mind and it has an horrific nose of cinnamon, toothpaste and Fisherman's Friends. The taste was revolting. The promised burn is there, but there is no pleasure in this. The texture, colour and taste add up to hell-fire in a bottle. Nothing would induce me to touch Magma again and risk all my taste buds. Rating out of 25 - 0 Simon Massey - Brand director of Nine Yards Seven of us tried this product, one person liked it, the rest of us thought it was the most vile concoction we'd ever tried. We hated it with a passion. The consistency is like syrup, which I don't understand for a shot drink. The colour is artificial, the taste is just plain nasty, and the hot afterburn, while a point of difference, is horrible. The packaging, which claims to be 'involving, appealing and tempting', is in fact cheap, ill considered and badly designed. However, I accept this is simply not my thing. The person who did like it said: "I could drink it, but the colour, the label, I'd never buy it!" Overall, absolutely awful. Rating out of 25 - 0 Steve Mayes - Trading controller at Landmark If you wondered what happened to Ralgex, Dentyne and Eucryl, well here's the answer...they've been liquidised and relaunched as Magma! No doubt the brand vision included creating the most noxious, nauseating and comprehensively disgusting concoction possible. You'd therefore think that it has all the credentials to succeed in the binge world of today's drinking generation, but I think not. Not enough heat or alcohol...too tame. However, it's worth a short-term on-trade punt for the novelty value and the promotion support that it will undoubtedly be given, but make sure you get sale or return! Rating out of 25 - 12 Matthew Baxter, 23, partner in double glazing business, Truro, Cornwall Magma's packaging is very similar to every other shot bottle in the market, except for the liquid inside. Unlike its competition, this was more of a knock and chew rather than a straight knock back! It looked radioactive in the bottle. On opening, the bottle the air was filled with cinnamon and spice, which was a good thing because it distracted us from the oil-like substance as it glooped out of the bottle. First hit is the cinnamon flavour with a kick not unlike a Blackpool pleasure beach mule, then Magma's full power kicks in with mouth burning chilli. To be fair, not very nice at all. After the second shot it was all over, no one returned to the table. With Aftershock, Goldschlager and even Absinthe at least you know what you're getting into but this - never again! Rating out of 25- 2 Total score out of 100 - 14 ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/03/08/20020308BIT00430/wkr0001.doc http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2002/03/08/20020308BIT00430/wkr0002.pdf