Appleton Estate Reserve 8-Year

Sattes Bernstein im Glas. Ist gefärbt und so auf der Flasche bezeichnet.
In Nase weich und dezent. Karamell und Früchte durchbrechen nach langer offener Zeit den alkoholischen Dunst und geben ihr Geheimnis preis. Banane, Ananas, Vanille tanzen im Rhythmus der Hölzer.
Am Gaumen dezent und harmonisch. Tropische Früchte, Banane, Ananas und Mangos tragen das Karamell voller Respekt über die Zunge. Edle Holznoten und feinste Gewürze sind stimmig eingebunden.
Im Abgang harmonisch und lang. Wie ein karibischer Sonnenuntergang, alles verschwindet langsam nach und nach.
Ein gutgemachter simpler Rum ohne den ganzen "funk / hogo" High Ester Firlefanz. :-) Von Joy perfekt und harmonisch geblendet. Für Einsteiger, Barkeeper und Wer auch immer.
Für meine 8. Rum Runde.

Rich amber in the glass. Is colored and so designated on the bottle.
In nose soft and discreet. Caramel and fruit break through the alcoholic haze after a long open time and reveal their secret. Banana, pineapple, vanilla dance to the rhythm of the woods.
Subtle and harmonious on the palate. Tropical fruits, banana, pineapple and mangoes carry the caramel across the tongue with respect. Noble wood notes and finest spices are harmoniously integrated.
The finish is harmonious and long. Like a Caribbean sunset, everything slowly disappears little by little.
A well-made simple rum without all the "funk / hogo" High Ester frippery. :-) Blended perfectly and harmoniously by Joy. For beginners, bartenders and whoever.
For my 8th rum round.

This rum is the perfect balance between funk, flavor, and smooth. It’s perfect for sipping in any occasion but yet also adds a lot of “pop” to any cocktail. You truly can’t go wrong with this rum.

Excellent quality for the price. This one won a family blind taste test involving more expensive rums.

As someone who enjoys sweet rums, this surprised me. I wasn't expecting much and was looking for that famous funk, but I was pleasantly surprised by the sweet nose and taste of caramel. A nice bottle to have around. This was a newer bottle than the one pictured in the review.

Works in drinks but plenty good to sip. Love Appleton so much.

Tried Appleton 12 Year Rare Casks side by side with the 8 Year Reserve. Both are of great quality! The 8 year burns and bites a little less (both are minimal in both products) and tastes good but it's definitely not as complex as the 12. That said, it's still an excellent rum! I say it's equally good but both are fairly different from each other. It's properly sweet and delicious. It reminds me of the old V/X (which I rated a 7) but it tastes more complex and somehow more smooth than the Appleton V/X. I'm not sure why the 8 Year Reserve is rated so low but regardless, I grabbed a bottle after realizing it might not be coming back for a while. I highly recommend snagging one yourself.

This rum is really good.
Good for mixing and sipping.
On the nose, we smell brown sugar with a hint of orange zest, vanilla and nutmeg.
The Hogo is here.
The mouth: we find the same flavors with a touch of honey, caramel and pronounced vanilla.

I don't really ever drink this neat, but it certainly isn't offensive that way. I keep 2 bottles on hand for my home Tiki bar because it's priced reasonably enough to be an everyday mixer for me. I reach for this bottle whenever I need a little extra character without too much funk.

A fairly flat nose to this rum. Light oak and fruit, but really quite nondescript. This follows in the taste itself. It is easy to drink, even neat, and moderately sweet, but without a lot of character.

One of the woodiest rums I've experienced, adding water or ice just waters this down rather than opening it up. This has a pleasant flavor, but little more than that. It tastes like it was aged enough to smooth it out, but not long enough to develop much flavor.

I rate this the same as the 12 Year Rare Casks but the two are different and have different strengths. Whereas the 12 is excellent on its own or in a simple cocktail (think Rum Old Fashioned), Appleton 8 Year is one of the most versatile rums around. It's awesome in Mai Tai, in a Rum Manhattan, a Rum Old Fashioned, a Jungle Bird and even works well neat or on the rocks. Appleton 8 has a little less oak influence (spice, tobacco) than the 12 but a bit more mango and banana. Bonus, it's affordable so you should never be without it on your bar.