Appleton Estate Rare Casks 12-Year

Update as if November 1st 2021,
As my palette for rum, and tasting experience, evolves, I find this 12 year to be a little thin tasting. I now prefer the 8 year, which is a very similar flavor palette. The 8 year doesn't come across as much younger, still has nice hints of vanilla, orange and spice but drinks a little hotter and more robust for significantly less coin. I also have found my ideal sipping rum in a bottle of Hampden Great House 2020 release, and I can't see giving this 12 year and that the same score either.

Update as of May 16th 2021,
I am upgrading my rating to a solid 9, maybe 9.5 after doing a thorough tasting of multiple rums. We tasted the Doorly's XO, Doorly's 12 year, Hampden 8 year and this Appleton 12 year and overall the Appleton is the clear favorite. It has a little bit of everything. Plenty of mild sweetness, toffee and caramel notes along with burnt brown sugar, vanilla and orange, dark fruits, that wonderful Jamaican funk of very ripe bananas and pineapple and a beautiful long, warm finish. Pretty much everything you could ask for in classic sipping rum.

Original Review:
As others have said, this is not the same as the previous expression labeled 12 year from Appleton's, this is a new iteration and really one of the best sipping rums out there. My other favorite sipper being Doorly's XO, just so you know where I am coming from. This rum has great complexity and doesn't overwhelm with any of the notes, but offers a really nice balance.
The nose is great, and if you love Jamaican rum, as I do, you can spend a bit of extra time here enjoying the nice combination of warm Jamaican funk, oak, molasses, orange and spice. The taste is perfect for sipping, with a good hit of alcohol up front, strong but not confrontational, then nice sweet notes of toffee and caramel with vanilla, orange, light banana and stone fruit, followed by the distinct hogo that I lovo. the finish is long with a mild touch of charred oak and raisins.

This is a really great rum and the price point around $45 US right now is decent too for such quality I would give this a solid 8.5, leaving a little room to run since, frankly, I haven't tasted much at higher price points yet, in my rum tasting journey. Enjoy neat, or with an ice cube or two to open it up or in a nice rum Old Fashioned, with a twist of orange and a Luxardo cherry.

The usual Appleton Estate shaped bottle holding a dark golden coloured rum. Smells of banana and pineapple finished with vanilla. Taste the fire in the mouth and as it slides down the throat.

A light colour compared to the 8 or 12 year with some burnt caramel smell. The taste is the same with that Appleton Jamacian funk, that is not really my thing. A spicey finish, with some burn. Not my idea of a sipping rum, best in a mixed drink.

This definitely has the funk that is a part of the Appleton line. I enjoyed it as a supper and as a mixer for the “tropical” style of drinks. Good fun and tasty.

Enjoyed every sip with my hoyo epicure de luxe.
Very good pairing.

Received a bottle of the new rare cask from a dear friend of mine . I understand that Appleton has changed the way they are listing the Age on the bottle and 12 means the youngest rum in the blend now which is nice and the rum is somewhat smooth but don’t be mistaken this screams. Appleton right to the last drop just something unmistakable about the flavour , in some cases that’s good and in some bad I just don’t get paying a higher price for what I deem just another Appleton rum good but not great
I guess I’m looking for them to surprise once , a really good mixer but that’s all

Appleton, this is better than your normal. I am not sold on the Rhum method so my rating is biased. Sampled neat and the aromas were sweet but harsh, the taste at the tip of my tongue followed true to the harsh aromas, however I did enjoy a pleasant burn that lingered for a while. With so many other awesome carribbean rums out there I will not be buying this again soon.

Appleton 12 Rare Casks is the standard by which I judge other rums. It is not too sweet, has layers of complexity, and a long finish with a little heat. I always have a bottle of this on hand.