Appleton Estate Reserve Blend

I really like this rum., but it is a little pricey. Nice color and very smooth. No burn. Only problem is the price. I can get El Dorado 12 for about the same price.

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)

No more no less just ok. Price ok for everyday quality rum.

This is a nice smooth Rum with a little bite at the end.

try this - if you want to taste jamaica rum.
it isnt sweet, ok. it isnt sharp, ok. it is very smooth, maybe the smoothest appleton ive tried.
it has a nice fruitiness. the spice ntes arent very dense, unlike the other rums of appleton.

Honey, vanilla and hazelnut notes with woody finish.

Decent run of the mill rum, better than most of your rum n coke rums but not a real Neat rum. On the rocks or in a nicer rum drink where you actually may want to taste the rum in the drink.

Appleton has recently changed the name of this rum to Appleton Estate Signature Blend, but it's still the same rum. It's not bad, but a little strong for my tastes. Rather than "strong", maybe I should say that it doesn't mix well with cola?? Not really sure how to describe it. It's an okay rum, but nowhere near my favourite. I think I'd try other brands before coming back to this one.

This is a mixer and also on the rocks drinkable.Not bad but nothing speciale too.I prefer it with cola.But with cola its something than always to drink havana or bacardi.

I laughed out loud (it's kinda late here. I hope the neighbors slept through it.) as I hovered my cursor over the "two-bottle" rating mark and it displayed "barely drinkable-gasoline like"..It's really not quite that bad so I chose a higher rating. This rum isn't bad at all, actually. But, it's rather unmemorable with no complexity (unless you compare it to something like Bacardi Silver, which to me tastes like isopropyl alcohol that was stored near a tin that once held cane syrup and a dash of acetone). THis one barely makes the grade. I don't think that Appleton Estates is a poor distillery. they make several very nicely complex rum options that have character and flavor galore. THis is just the one they pump out to fill liquor store shelves and keep the lights on (in my humble rambling opinion). add ice, lime juice, and some orange like me, if you want to have more than two. it definitely improves things.