Appleton Estate 12-Year

This might be a bold statement to make but it quite frankly is true. Just like I don't want brandy to taste like whiskey, I don't want my rum to taste like scotch or anything else. There may be some rums that based on the rarified palette of the rum connoisseur are far superior. But I have to ask, are they judging them based on what rum should be or what fine liquor is?

So let me be the first to say that I'm no connoisseur. I am very familiar with most rums that are readily available in your average bar–Bacardi, Captain Morgan, Mount Gay, Myers and occasionally Appleton.

My point is, I am not a snob but do I have a nose and palette that is excellent for determining flavor. Hence, I believe that the true test of rum, is what it tastes like mixed in a drink, more specifically, what a rum taste like with fruit punch or coke? It should be smooth. Not hidden but not overpowering. Then it should be complimentary so that it makes whatever you put it in better. A rum should be able to fit in anywhere. This characteristic is why rum is so good in desserts.

Appleton has many affordable rums, the Special Gold, Dark, VX, Signature, etc... and I have had all of those and some of the more expensive varieties too. Many of those are good and some are great. So while I like other rums and look forward to tasting many that I see on this website, I confidently put the 12 Year Old Appleton up against all comers in a Rum & Coke. I guarantee that you can't find a better rum "taste"!

My favorite mixer when it comes to Jamaican rum. Makes for a pretty damn good sipper as well. Perfect in a top shelf Mai Tai. Perfect in nearly anything that calls for a funky style of rum. I'm hard pressed to find something this doesn't mix in. Master Blender Joy Spence is nothing short of brilliant.I can't recommend this rum enough. Great stuff and extremely well priced.

Top rhum, jamaican style that appreciate so much: orange notes, fruity but not so much, the taste remains very long in the mouth. I live in Panama and i am really found of rhum, my favorite digestive drink.This extraordinary Appleton 12 compared to 21 ( the same but even more concentrate) and many others, is the best quality/value I have seen so far.

My sister brought it for me straight from Jamaica, then I got hooked up and I bought it from time to time because it is expensive compared to other drinking options. If you want the one of the very best rum in the world this is it.
I am a rum drinker, i prefer a good rum rather than a bad wiskey, I am from Dominican Republic so I grew up drinking rum, and I have tasted a lot of rums, I worked as a bartender for a few years.

I have been renting a property from Appleton Estate for few years now. And from the Land and to the staff everybody nice and professional. This agence is Highly Recommended.
Mark, Collin, Rob, Jody and other staff members working in the office. Great job Great Team and excellent properties

I strongly advise you to do what Chaing Kai-Shek used to do when Mao got on his nerves: open a bottle, lean back and Taiwan on.

This is great rum. better than that horse wee-wee Bacardi turns out, especially if you're an actual adult who doesn't drink spiced rum with the bros at the local frat.

And cheap too, an important thing for an old skinflint like me. It's $17.65 US at the Duty Free shop at the Ivy Lea (1000 Islands) Bridge. You can bring in as much as you want as long as you don't go nuts and back a truck up to the loading dock. The American Customs guys will generally let you go with up to 3-4 liters, but even then duty is only $2.80 a bottle. Don't try to lie to them, though because that's another thing entirely.

A bit of funk on the nose, woody, fruity, spicy on the palate, and most of all superbly balanced. Excellent value rum that can be recommended to everyone!

Absolute staple in my rum cabinet. Never go wrong with a glass of this dark beauty

This has been my every day sipping rum, very easy on the pallet . Fruity but not overly sweet a nice suttle oakey finish.

I had this at a party in Trinidad. Somethings about the ice, hot sun, and this refreshing rum made it a perfectly smooth and sweet explerience.

One of my go to rums. Great on the rocks or mixed.

Have to say I'm impressed with this one. It's almost like cognac. Slight smokiness about it, prefer it to the smell of ED12 but can't pick much out, I'm hopeless unless it's really obvious like the Agricole apples. Thinner legs than the sweeter ED and Diplomatico. Nice burn going down, just adding some coke now which I've done with all the others. All 5 amazing with coke, hard to pick out the best although the Agricole is completely different to all, I guess that's sugar cane vs molasses?

What a mellow fantastic rum to sit down by the fire too.

The funk is there, but 12 years have taken the edge off and left a very smooth, well rounded versatile product. It's not often I reach for a funky rum, they are generally not my favorite, but this is the one I go for and it does everything well. SUPERIOR mixer.

sugar test- 0

As one can infer from the previous reviews this is definitely not the best "sipper" but we're not all just "sippers". When I want to "sip" I do prefer a slightly sweet rum but when I come home from a stressful day at work (I am an ER nurse) I want something both refreshing and that has a little kick. So I mix myself a Fidel Castro with Appleton 12 year, ginger ale and a 1/4-1/2 lime. This makes the perfect rum for that as far as I'm concerned. It has enough taste to still give that remarkable Caribbean Rum undertone and strong enough to let you know you're not drinking a Shirley Temple.

When sipped you get that great fruitiness of most Jamaican Rums, spicy oak, tangy citrus, caramel and coffee undertones and the warming burn of a good dry spirit. Not your sweetish dessert type rum, your "cut the dust from a rough day at work, put a smile back on your face" type rum. And the best part, quite affordable for the hard working underpaid everyman. Runs $29-$35 in my area. Give it a try before you believe the negative reviews.

One of my favorite aged rums for mixing tiki drinks. Very smooth, not too sweet, good amount of that trademark Jamaican pot still funk. Highly recommended.

Got tired of the sweetness (added sugar) of the El Dorado 12YO rum and switched for this one. It has character, rich and complex, nice aftertaste. Puts lower-end Appleton's (VX, 8YO) to shame.

Let the rum rest a while in the glass before you start drinking it.
The nose has a distinct vanilla and hints of citrus on the top. I dug deeper and found brown sugar and oaky smoke.
The taste is even more initial brown sugar and a deep oak feel to it, but without being overly sweet. After a while a warm sensation from alcohol. In the end of the tail I find... drumroll.. molasses. I like it, a lot.

A perfect sipper rum of a classic origin.

Went to Jamaica and found this treat at an all-inclusive hotel. Great drink. can tell the difference between the 12 vs. their basic rum. Wouldn't want a drink without the 12 label or above.

Drink it how ever you want! This rum delivers the goods and defines how an aged rum should smell, taste and finish. I raise an eyebrow to those who scored this rum with a 6 or lower...

This rum has a gorgeous dark red-amber colour, and it's smell and taste is rich - sweet and smokey.

I found this rum remarkably smooth, and it is now one of my favourite sippers.

Trošku ostřejší chuť ,ale velmi dobrý a kvalitní rum

One of my favourite rum. Dry, fresh, simple. I recommande it strait up. No ice!

Really great rum. Appleton family is my personal favor and so far 12 y is best. I have´t taste older ones... yet.