Appleton Estate V/X

This is the first aged rum I'd come across. I tried it while in Jamaica on a cruise and absolutely loved it. Bought a few small bottles to bring back. I've been hooked on aged rum ever since. This one is pretty smooth with a bit of a harsh finish, but the flavors are outstanding. Not your typical rum with strong sweetness. This is refreshingly flavorful. Unique to say the least.

Color : Light brown
Flavor :vanilla, toffee, caramel, maple syrup, marmalade & ripe fruits
Palate : Dry, light with some spice flavor.

Its a good rum on its own and can be blended easily.

Recommended cocktails : Mai-Tai, Zombie, Rum Sour.

I will reserve 1's for rums I can't finish. With great effort, I did finish the bottle, but not until I dumped a few packets of raw sugar into it. I bought this at Sam's Club because of the $16 price. While I knew this would be no sipper, I thought, based on reputation and reviews I was buying a good mixer. Nope. This stuff was awful. It tasted like it had been aged in cardboard, not oak. I'm not exaggerating. It tasted like wet cardboard, or I what I presume wet cardboard to taste like. And that taste over powered even the drinks I tried making it with it. The taste cut through coke, ginger ale, and even fruit juices. It just made me mad drinking it. I was going to pour the rest down the sink, but about that time I was reading about the added sugar controversy and how some folks had experimented by adding sugar to some of their low end rums to see how it improved taste. So I added some sugar, and it did cut the overpowering cardboard taste down enough to mask it with mixers. I know this is the low end of the Appleton's line and they make some better rums, but I'll wait to try those on someone else's dime.

Naturally sweet, with some (but not too much) of the familiar Jamaican funk. This rum, btw, is miraculous in Mai-Tais, paired with an aged agricole and the required mixers. Don't sell this stuff short. It's a work-horse in the Tiki cocktail world.

My brother generously brought this back to me after a Caribbean cruise. I was quite new in the rum world and this was a fun step! This introduced me to Jamaican rums, which are quite unique. I look forward to trying the older expressions of Appleton because this shows potential. It was a tad harsh on the palette while also presenting an interesting taste challenge. I noted citrus and nut as primary flavors. Drinking this straight up is preferred for the experience but mixing wouldn't be too shameful ;)

Appleton is usually regarded with positive views. I wonder if it is really justified, while this bottle isn't bad, it isn't superb neither.

Good well around.

tastes like a Jamaican rum should, big flavours but a little bit harsh

This is the rum I mix with. And this is the rum I sip on when traveling. The VX is an amazingly well balanced rum for the price. It is simple. The aroma is simple and sweet. The drink is simple with light vanilla flavor. The finish is lasting and simple with some spice on it. Anyone I introduce to aged rum gets this sample first. They can spend $20 and spend the night smiling away at the deal they got.

Mit diesem Rum habe ich meine Unschuld verloren.
Habe in den "90er" Jahren diesen Rum nach Hause gebracht,
als es Hierzulande nur Coruba, Bacardi und Stroh-Rum im Handel gab.
Da habe ich bemerkt das Rum etwas leckeres sein kann.
Etwas deftig in der Nase, im Mund jedoch Aromen von Zuckerrohr, Karamell, Toffee.
Im Abgang alles schnell weg.

With this rum I lost my innocence.
In the "90s" I brought this rum home,
As there were only Coruba, Bacardi, and Stroh-Rum in the market.
Since I noticed, that rum something delicious can be.
Slightly strong in the nose, in the mouth however aromas of sugar cane, caramel, toffee.
In the finish, everything is quickly gone.

A nice one from Appleton that is a tad harsh and could do with a few more years inside the barrel but with a dash of lime to take off the edge it still goes down well

Good rum for cocktails. The aging process gives it more body but no more.

"tasting notes"...super market, it has colour and flavour...some notes, maybe flat or sharp, not to shabby for a super market rum, really nice when mixed with 2x apple juice...

Mix with 1/2 a lime and some cane juice and you have a great daiquiri with just enough cask flavor to stand out and give some depth. Not too shabby.

If you want a good example of the Jamaican style, this is a good way to go at about half the price (in most areas) of the 12 year.

When I lived in the caribbean I loved Appleton. I had graduated from navy rum to jamaican rum and I was 21. Nowadays I can’t stand it. 21 yr, 30 yr, Joy. Its all too dry with an odd taste. Obviously thd bottom barrel rum is worse. If I want dry I will go Agricole, or maybe an Ged Diplomatico. This is just not good

Good when mixed. A good base default as a mainstream rum.

I tried this rum and sip it once. Bad decision. Harsh a lot and not sweet at all. No dominant flavour except for the burn of alcohol. Don’t intend to drink that rum otherwise than for mixing.

Being one who prefers the full, smooth South American rums, the Diplomáticos, the Zacapas, The Santa Teresas, I am not enchanted by the rums of the English Islands. I expected more however of this one. Bit harsh to my taste and definitely not a sipper. Quite drinkable however with soda.

Appleton is a great rum brand from Jamaica. It's a solid sipping rum that will be welcomed at most drinking events. Not a bad rum.

Very dry in my opinion, but that is good. Yet it is lacking some depth to it, I would hoped for some more complex taste.

Final verdict:
I think I will pass on that in the future

Ničím výnimočný, trochu viac alkoholový, jedine do miešaných nápojov.

If I’m in a pinch, I will drink this as a mixed drink, but not really do anything else with it. The flavor is aggressive, sweet, and will come through your mixer. A little goes a long way. The nose is decent and brings some good Jamaican notes. It’s price point is good but don’t expect a huge bang for your buck.

Everyone should have this one at home. Nice, easy and can go both in drinks or just as simple as it is