Appleton Estate Reserve 8-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 rate this the same as the 12 Year Rare Casks but the two are different and have different strengths. Whereas the 12 is excellent on its own or in a simple cocktail (think Rum Old Fashioned), Appleton 8 Year is one of the most versatile rums around. It's awesome in Mai Tai, in a Rum Manhattan, a Rum Old Fashioned, a Jungle Bird and even works well neat or on the rocks. Appleton 8 has a little less oak influence (spice, tobacco) than the 12 but a bit more mango and banana. Bonus, it's affordable so you should never be without it on your bar.

Not one of my go to rums but I would drink it again if it was on a great sale. Decent rum for range but prefer Mt Gay.

This is a good standby rum.
It’s not spectacular but it is not dreck.
Jamaica knows how to make rum.
Available everywhere.
However, worth dropping the extra $ for the 12 year.

Island flavour! Drank a lot of this one in particular while visiting Jamaica !

Appletons have that strange distinctive odour. Hard to smell anything beside that. The taste is alcoholic fiery, dry but sweet anyhow. There is also afterburn, but decent one. For 8 yrs, it should be better rounded and mellowed, more refined. 8 years or not, this one has qualities to be rather mixer than sipper. Altrough I very liek 12yrs and V/X Appletons, this one is little bit of dissapoitment for sipping. So better mix it up or mellow it down with ice/water.

like in title....not bad...but definetly nothing special.

Just not quite good enough for sipping in my humble opinion.

Ok rum especially for a Jamaican. Still a bit gasoline-ish with a lack of robust flavour. Ive had much worse though.

The nose is really rather like that of a Spanish style - toffee, dried dark fruits (plum) and a hint of vanilla and coconut. The taste does show some Jamaican character though, with a hint of funk to go a long with the rather thin and otherwise sweet, mellow notes. Not bad, but a similar thing is better done by the Havana 7 years in my opinion. Unless you come from whisky and desire that pot still burn and funk, that is.