Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum Rare Blend 12-year-old review and tasting notes
The Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum Rare Blend 12-year-old is a spicy and robust spirit, made in pure Jamaican style: not to caress the palate, but to slap it with taste.
If you like subtle, ethereal and delicate rums that tickle you with graceful suggestions, leave these shores immediately. Appleton 12 is a bomb, it gives no respite and despite being made with care, it is a kicking rum. It focuses on a whirlwind of ripe tones, pepper, warmth, and aromatic aggression. There are no edges. Technically it is pretty balanced. The distillate is designed with precision, but it hits like a truck. Just pinch your nose to get punched in the face, but that’s okay. This is the “spirit” of a real Jamaica child.
Organoleptic characteristics of Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum Rare Blend 12-year-old
The nose is compact, sinewy, carved in molasses, has biscuit tones that spurt vanilla and butter from every pore, caramel dripping with solar joy, more ethereal notes, warm fruit, candied cedar. The rum itself is not so mottled. What is perceived is the aromatic charge. The spicy frame of cocoa, coffee and all the spices of the Indian and Caribbean companies are there, so don’t worry. Glorious persistence, little finesse, but it is penetrating.
On the palate, it is fiery, impetuous. However, it manages to find articulation and excellent development that goes beyond power and pepper. It cuts the tongue but then opens up to more caramel and tropical tones. Dry finish of cinnamon and vanilla.
Overall, it is a rum that does its duty. It is not subtle or chiseled, but what is there is well designed, with enthusiasm, but overall it is very enveloping. You must like the genre, of course. Compared to the Appleton Estate signature blend rum, it is much more complex and charismatic on another planet.
How the Appleton 12 is produced
Obviously, like all the distillates of this distillery, it is a blend of several distillates, all Jamaican-style molasses rums, but aged at least 12 years and produced with discontinuous copper stills through double distillation. A good guarantee of the quality of the distillate and the substance of alcohol is not in question. Aging takes place in barrels of various sizes to tame this grumpy spirit.
Price of Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum Rare Blend 12-year-old
The price fluctuates between 30-35 euros and is an honest price for an aged rum, decisive and of decent quality. The dilemma is that it costs slightly too much as a mixing rum, while if you drink it straight, it is not precisely a legendary drink.
What cocktails to make with Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum Rare Blend 12
If you use it to make the great classics based on dark rum, you will make beautiful cocktails, meaty and full of intense flavors and aromas. Cuba Libre, Scorpion, Dark and Stormy are amazing to do with the Appleton 12, but also the Pina Colada becomes liquid gold.
Appleton Estate 12 Food Pairings
Smoked salmon, walnut cake, chocolate in all its forms and sweets of all kinds: chocolate salami, apple tart, mud cake, creme brûlée.