Appleton Estate 21 Years Old Rum, 70 cl

Product Information

This cookie is set by Rubicon Project to control synchronization of user identification and exchange of user data between various ad services. On the nose: A wonderful concert of nutty, fruity and sweet wine-y scents. I get toffee, latte, coffee, muscovado sugar, figs, lavender, plums, chocolate raisins, raisin rum cake, oranges, hints of berries, baking spices and hints of PX sherry.

In the glass Appleton Estate 1999 Hearts Collection is a dark brown/mahog any spirit with a reddish/orange hue. It is every bit the colour you would expect a 21 year old tropically aged spirit to be. From the tasting I am not sure if something was mentioned about some of the barrels being a bit older than 1999 – but I might be getting confused. For once in my reviewing process I have thought ahead. With the inevitable comparisons between those two rums it is essential I have both rums on hand as I go through this review. This is for the"old" bottle, with blue metallic cap like on the picture. Not sure the new bottles contain the same liquid...) As I liked the 12 year I tried a sample of the 21 years. Nose : typical Jamaican rhum. Taste : as expected it is oaky... Too much in my opinion, it tends to dominate the other aromas. I did not found it as balanced as the 12y. A good aged rhum but for one third of the price I still prefer the 12y. I am a bit suspicious about this rum : very verrrry smooth, almost artificial and absolutely odd for a 21y spirit .Sugar tests seem to be OK, what the hell they have added in it ?! There are so much true gems and genuine rums, less ""premiumized"" for the same price. The rums in Appleton Estate 21 Year Old, each aged a minimum of 21 years, bring their own special characteristics together into a truly glorious harmony, bestowing upon Appleton Extra its mahogany hue, bold character and smooth taste which invite favourable comparison to the world’s finest cognacs and scotches. Distilled, blended and bottled on the Appleton Estate since 1749, this Jamaica spirit is a classic expression of the rum-maker’s art.Observations: Here we have an excellent example of rum bottled without added flavourings or sugar, as per Jamaican regulations. At 15 years old, it shows excellent maturity without too much oak influence obscuring the spirit character. The rum is blended by Master Distiller Joy Spence. Whilst the blend differs from year to year Joy attempts to re-create the same profile each year. We are not talking about a different vintage each year. Appleton 21 created in 2012 should taste near as dammit the same as the one produced in 2015. 12,000 bottles are produced each year. So there you go I think I have given as much information as I have regarding the rum so lets move on to the fun part. Appleton Estate 21 is a blend of rums which have a minimum age of 21 years. Whilst age statements cannot be relied upon I have tasted nothing in the Appleton range previously which would make me suspicious of their claims. This is isn’t funky hi-hogo Jamaican Rum. It’s a more sophisticated elegant spirit. This is really beyond the Signature Blend what Appleton Estate does. They don’t produce a rum like Hampden for example. No that Hampden don’t produce great rum – far from it.

Appleton is a Jamaican sugar estate and rum distillery that has been open since 1749. Its parent company is J. Wray and Nephew, which has been under Campari since 2012. Campari seems to see the rising tides of rum, as they recently acquired French rhum brands Trois Rivieres and La Mauny, too. As I sometimes note with Appleton Estate 12 Year Old there is a slightly herbal note in there is well which adds a bit more complexity and interest to the nose. Notes of toffee and light caramel add a little sweetness alongside the chocolate and the gentle warming oak notes. The nose has a really good balance and harmony suggesting the rum will be equally enjoyable………. Much like the 12 year old it is very refined by Jamaican standards, very nicely balanced and has complexity in each sip. New flavours emerge as you sip – a classic sipper.Now I could go and try to figure out what all those nuance flavors are but my palate just ain't that edjimacated so I won't even try. I know there are a plethora of flavors that master blender Joy Spence has captured so I will just enjoy them as balanced as they are. In the mouth: Tastes like fermented bananas with hints of banana syrup infused with baking spices like fennel, anise and cloves. Some ex-bourbon flavor like vanilla, honey and muscovado syrup come out. There are hints of chocolate, caramel and toffee hiding in there as well. Score: 5/10 Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Rum – review