Rating: 11/23 N: On the lighter side. Sweet, but not syrupy. There's a mild mustiness here and a dryness that's somewhere between paper and unsweetened dried tropical fruit (perhaps a little underripe?). Gradually, some sugary tropical fruit notes start to pop. P: Quite balanced and less sweet than I'd thought it might be. Not terribly woody, but sweet with a variety of predominantly tropical fruit flavors (pineapple, mango, bitter curaçao orange, apple (without peel). There's a kind of dryness to the spirit with a faint mustiness and some burnt sugar. There are some edges that are a little sharp with that burnt sugar bite that starts taking over and it's a bit light. The balance is otherwise fine. This palate is far from the fullness and complexity of Appleton Estate 12 and it's lacking that nice barrel flavor with sweet elements like vanilla in it. The balance is also not as effective here and it's somewhat harsher. F: Mostly dry and not very fruity. A bit more of the bitterness remains than of the sweetness. - Conclusion - Appleton Estate 12 and Plantation Xaymaca absolutely crush this. It's much more in the vicinity of Plantation 3 Star as a neat pour. Now, Plantation 3 Star is a nice light rum, but it's not something I'd ever call a sipper. This is a bit more of a sipper than that is though, I think. Considering that, I'm looking at an 11 to 12 here. I came really really close to giving this a 12, but it's just a tad too rough for that, so it's getting an 11. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample :)