Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Rum

The 12yo, after experiencing Signature Blend and V/X ones, is the finest of Appletons do far. But it comes with price. 12yo is well rounded, lost the harsh edges, have decent taste, not so sweet, not so burning, not so tangy. it's good. But it is no fun. The smell is barely here, the taste is distinctive but not fun, like the younger blends. This blend is just blend. Overall performance is very good, especially for a price, it sips too well, only with hint of spicy taste, fruits (especially date) and little honey aftertaste, but it is far from "Shit, this tastes gooood!" sips. It leaves funny tingling in back of my mouth after sip. Well, some may enjoy it as sipper, especially those who like rather hash than sweet rums. And some may enjoy it with Coke or in other drinks (distinctive taste of Jamaican style rums surely helps that use). I can understand both. But my conclusion is that cheaper bits from Appleton are more fun to play with, and with sipping qualities - I'm not so impressed, but overall quality is above good and bottle of Appleton 12yo should be part of any rum cabinet.

Underwhelming sipper. I found it to be thin compared to other favorites and it has a kind of tap-watery finish that I’ve found in other Jamaican rums. Not bad in a cocktail. Meh.

Could taste this had some age, great nose, carries a unique flavor so far in my 3 rum career, LOL.

Nose - overripe banana, pineapple, mint, molasses, leather, coconut, kool-aid, butterscotch, dry grass, vanilla, cinnamon, clove, brown sugar, barrel char, whiff of smoke, sassafras, orange and lemon zest, grape, cherry, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - orange zest, overripe banana, grape, cherry, plum, brown sugar, vanilla cream, clove, cinnamon, grassy herbal notes, pineapple, coconut, butterscotch, mint, anise, tannic oak, black pepper, ginger, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with overripe, funky fruit, bitter oak, caramel, and vanilla cream flavors. This is a solid entry into Jamaican rum. The overripe, borderline putrefying fruit notes are present, but they’re not as overwhelming as with some of its peers. These are counterbalanced by some very strong tannic oak, spices, butterscotch, and dark, rich molasses notes. I think it’s slightly too bitter and oaky, but feel this may be necessary to add depth and keep the experience from being too weirdly cloying. For me, it’s better than good but not quite great. I’m going to round up though, as this was the first quality bottle of rum I bought when I started my tasting journey, so it’s a bit nostalgic for me.