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It's a very good run in the rocks and with soda I bought it very cheap and was suspicious but now it's a must have in my bar
Posted
3 years ago
Good, cheap funk. Smoother than the Signature Blend but still a mixer IMO.
Posted
over 3 years ago
Would always opt for the 12 year first, this rum is OK but I think this middle of the road why bother. It does mix well with coke but thatโs about it for me.
Posted
over 3 years ago
very simple but too sharp burn.
Worth a try... but not a second time.
Posted
over 3 years ago
This rum is just ok. Nothing specially good or bad.
Posted
over 3 years ago
I really like the smell of this rum - toffee banana, nutmeg, burnt sugarcane.
Taste is also pleasant with moderately sweet vibes and some light pepper on the background. Downside is that the taste is a bit thin for me and finish is quite short. Given the fact that Appleton probably tried to push this both for mixing and sipping market in my mind they have actually succeeded. Itโs a good example that both works well on its on neat and mixed with sodas and other things. I love the fact that it adds some oaky body to cuba libres and it actually tastes real good.
Definitely canโt go higher than a 7 because of the excessive filtering and blending but 6 feels too low for this rum.
Posted
over 3 years ago
Decent rum for the price, mix with lime simple syrup and cola
Made Dons own grog with this. Made for a nice night on the porch.
Posted
almost 4 years ago
I enjoy the Signature Blend for mixing. Yes this one is better but considering this isn't a sipper and for the price I can't really say this is worth the upgrade. It's still a solid rum.
Posted
almost 4 years ago
A step up from their regular label, great for rum & coke or Piรฑa Colada.
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ORIGINAL REVIEW (6+): It's not at all offensive, but there's just not much there of what makes a confident Jamaican mixing rum. Not enough funk (too blended), and just a little too much bite. So, there's little draw. It seems as though Appleton is really aiming for mass-market appeal with their lower-end (but not inconsiderably priced) offerings, which is a shame.
Personally I prefer to purchase bottles I enjoy more on their own (as well as mix with), which are easy enough to find around this price-point. I think the Reserve Blend really a fine choice for Tiki drinks, but I expected a little more. Perhaps the 12-year is for me (which I'd really like to try soon), but I hesitate to mix with anything that costs north of $30.
It's very possible I passed judgment too quickly on this bottle, without giving it time breathe [edit: that's exactly what happened]. Or that my expectations for this as a sipper are unreasonable. I'll come back to it when I can and see if my perceptions have changed :).
Despite my disappoint, I'd still happily recommend this venerable brand's offering for use as a go-to Jamaican mixer, especially if you're tempted to opt for the Signature Blend, which I am not looking forward to trying anytime soon. I give the Reserve Blend a 6-plus.
UPDATE (7+): After revisiting this rum, my opinion of it changed completely. I was served the last of a bottle, so it was plenty oxidized. There were no offensive high notes, and the rum was very smooth compared to my first tasting. The pot-still characteristics seemed more present, and I would be more than happy to mix or sip this again!
UPDATE (8-): This is good, reliable rum. Is it perfect? No. Could it use more funk? Yes. More strength? Absolutely. But it does strike a nice balance between the Signature and Rare, and (arguably) is better than both because of that. It's equally good (for me, anyway) as a mixer as well as a sipper, and I enjoy revisiting it when I can.
A note on pricing: Sometimes I see this bottle for sale only a dollar or two below the Rare Blend/ 12yo. This strikes me as very strange. Most people are happy to pay the small difference for a more rounded sipper, so maybe those pricing it this way are just trying to move more Rares. Occasionally I've seen it offered at around $10 less than the RB, which makes much more sense. The Signature is a value rum you shouldn't pay more than like $18 for. The RB is like $35. The Reserve SHOULD be in the $26 range. (2018 USD)