Appleton Estate Reserve Blend

I bought this rum after a Disney cruise as I thought it my be what I had there but signature blend turned out to be what they were serving. This is much better than the signature blend but still not a rum I would buy regularly.

Good and sweet. Rich caramel - good value but not as good as 12 or 15 year

Good solid banana smoothy for drinking on its own or blends well with a tiki drink.

As a Rum enthusiast I always like to try new Rums and to me this was new, as my Liquor store usually does not carry Appleton Estate. Unfortunately at the moment it was either this, or their other less expensive options. Being under 20$ I did not have great expectations for this Rum, which is good because it was slightly below average (which for the price is ok with me). My biggest issue with this particular Rum was how awful it tastes straight or on the rocks. Could you drink this straight..? sure... would you enjoy it..? less than likely. In mixed drinks the prognosis is less grim, it blends well with orange juice, pineapple juice, and pina coladas just fine, it just doesn't enhance them like a great rum does. For these reasons, I would rate this a 4/10 if taken straight or on the rocks, and a 6/10 in mixed drinks; splitting the difference I'd round this out as a 5/10 overall. Not terrible, but certainly not good either.

A great addition to my bar. I found that it was a bit to harsh on the palate to drink straight but love this stuff in any tiki cocktail.

Is an OK option if there's nothing left. Not impressed. It lacks character and flavor for being a Jamaican rum.

Smell: caramel, honey, oak, molases, dry fruits
Taste: caramel, spice, barrel (oak/earth), some bitterness, honey
Finish: dry, long and spicy

Sweetness: 2/5
Spice: 3.5/5
Fruit: 3/5
Mildness: 3/5

Not the most complex of rums. Light, sweet and mellow. Not much else going on but vanilla, caramel and some lighter fruitiness. The finish is a tad alcoholic, but because of the relatively low abv it's not off-putting.

Smoother than the signature blend, it lack somehow of the bitty or funky taste that Appleton Estate is known for. For some reason I can’t explain, it reminds me the Captain Morgan Private Stock.

Keep your money and invest it on the Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 years which is definitely a better bang for the buck.

I think this is a good rum for mixing and acceptable for sipping. The flavour is interesting and shouldn't be overlooked, but the rum is not incredibly smooth. Taste gets better with every subsequent glass.