Appleton Estate Rare Casks 12-Year

Thought I would try the new Appleton Estate Reserve 8 Yr & Appleton Rare Casks 12 yr Rums recently released from Jamaica. I was really surprised with the younger rum which I find even better than the Older version of the Appleton Rare Blend 12 yr version and Its quality is definitely worthy of being drank neat. The new version of the 12 year (Rare Casks) is also much better than the older version and in my opinion both dessrve a “9” rating.

I thought this was the 12 year rare blend repackaged but this is something new. Nice fruit forward banana notes, with mild spiciness. Lots of depth with just the right amount of Hogo. Blindfold me and I know it Jamaica and Appleton. I give this a notch up from the 12 year rare blend. Great rum in the $40 range not too sweet like ElDorado US concoctions.

This was the first rum I spent more than 20 bucks on and I didn’t know what to expect really. It’s smooth, not over powering, and has a nice subtle banana taste. You can smell the banana when you open it but it’s subtle as far as the actual taste goes. Worth the money. It’s not the best I’ve ever had but I’d probly look at someone funny if they had any real problem with its level of quality. If you want a solid rum to try that’s not going to put you in the poor house, it’s a good one.

The rare cask is better than the old extra version.
It has more orange zests, this makes it more complex and fruitier.

Smell: dry fruits, orange zests, some caramel, barrel/wood (oak), some fruits in the background (not very fruity but it's not a Hampden)
Taste: dry fruits, orange zests, some burned sugar, wood, some vanilla, slightly spiciness at 43% - very good
Nice fruity aftertaste with woody cask aromas

Sweetness: 1.5/5
Spicy: 2.5/5
Fruit: 2/5
Mildness: 3/5
Complexity: 3.5/5
Value (24€): 4.5/5
Expert level: amateur - professional

($36CAD) This is one of the new bottles of the 12 year and I have to comment on the bottle itself. I’ve never been so pumped about a rum before actually tasting it. Everything about the presentation is pleasing to me. The bottle has a sleek yet funky design. The black label fits nicely with the darker color of rum. The cork has both wood and gold color in it, it’s all very easy on the eyes. Very well done, presentation-wise.
To the rum! 43% abv and a full 750mL bottle.
Nice and dark. Smells like bananas a bit, maybe some tropical fruits; pineapple?
The taste is nice, a bit of sweetness up front with fruit and then oak and tobacco or leather. Then it settles into the heat.
This is a damn near perfect rum. It looks amazing, the taste is fantastically complex yet smooth. The real kicker for me is the price: what value! If I had known I would love it this much, I would’ve bought more while it was on sale. This has become a staple for me and very well could be my favourite at the moment. Well done Appleton Estate!

I’m loving the new tastes of this 12 year now that the new master distiller is in charge.

Very smooth, great complex taste, not too sweet. Look forward to trying other rums from Appleton.

Jamaican quality. No added sugar. Unique and pleasant taste. Minimum age of 12 years. Cheap enough for everyday sipping. Or even for cocktails. Did I forgot something? You can't go wrong with that one in your bar. I never include the price (around 25 EUR) in my rating. This is why you can regard this one as an 8+

Nice, very smooth, not super sweet, and almost no burn or taste of alcohol.

An excellent tasting rum with flavors of toffee, brown sugar and a bit of orange. Highly recommended.