The Appleton 8yr reserve is a solid rum, nothing special, but very reliable in cocktails. The funk or hogo you expect from most Jamaican rums is not present here. If a recipe calls for aged rum, this should do fine, but if they specify Jamaican rum then I would probably go with another Jamaican rum like Smith & Cross. The only real Appleton rum that has any funk in the normal lineup is the Appleton Special (Gold) which I believe has been renamed Kingston 62 or something. On the nose I get black tea and some coconut. The palate has the classic oak and caramel, along with some allspice and pepper. The spicier notes come through on the finish as well, followed by a touch of sweetness and little to no burn. It's a very well-balanced rum. If you are expecting a unique rum experience, I don't think you will find it here. This is more of an everyday type of drink. It's not very complex, but it is very well made. Just looking at this neat, I would give it a 2.5, but the use in cocktails that call for aged rum makes this more valuable than that and at the price it's hard to beat. Again though, if you plan to make cocktails that call for Jamaican rum specifically, I would look for another Jamaican rum since this does not have any real funk whatsoever.