Appleton Estate Extra Old 12 Year
Review Update: Appleton Estate Extra Old 12 Year Jamaican Rum (89/100)
a review re visitation by Arctic Wolf (Aka Chip Dykstra)
Posted February 21, 2010
It was about nine to ten months ago that I wrote my first ramblings on the Ministry of Rum. If you search their old threads you will come across my original write up on the Appleton 12 year. It was in truth the first ‘review’ I ever wrote. It really wasn’t meant to be a review but more of a fun write up to let the members of that forum know what I liked and didn’t and why. That rambling thread is responsible for all that followed. About 6 months later I started this website and that write became the first review I placed on my website, just a little more fleshed out but in essence that same ‘review’ I wrote originally. This past week I revisited the Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old Rum such that I could review the rum again to see how much my new knowledge and experience would change the review. (I left the original review at the bottom of the page so that the differences could be observed.)
In the Bottle 4/5
The Appleton Estate Extra Old comes in the signature Appleton Estate Rum Bottle. This is the same bottle that is used in their entire line up. I have no quibble with the bottle; it is a nice distinctive design which looks just fine. My quibble is with the screw cap. It is the pressed on variety which always gives me problems. Metal caps expand and contract in heat and cold at a different rate than glass. In my climate where temperatures can change drastically this cap makes me nervous. As well these pressed on caps tend to warp easily ruining the seal on the rum.
In the Glass 9/10
This is a pleasingly dark spirit in the glass. We have a rich brown colour with red inky highlights. Swirling the glass leaves a nice thick coating on my glencairn glass which coalesces at the top of the swirl and then lays thick fat legs which slide slowly down the side of the glass back into the spirit.
The aroma has a light alcohol tinge with a deep dark brown sugar spice behind it. Oak tannin and citrus zests arise in the aroma as well as a darker more burnt smell akin to charred coconut and caramelized sugars. I believe I am beginning to catch some nutty accents as well.
In the Mouth 54/60
The rum is nice and soft in my mouth. I taste a dominant trio of dark brown sugar, charred caramel, and a spicy oak. This combination asserts itself firmly into the flavour profile. I found if I was patient, and let the rum sit in my glass and then sipped very slowly, I could catch the nuances of other more subtle flavours underneath.
These lighter flavours I found included a light hint of tangy citrus, a touch of spicy orange peel, and a mild walnut. At times I thought I received toasted coconut. These milder flavours keep the rum interesting, and I seem to be enjoying this a little more than I remember from my previous review.
In the Throat 13/15
The finish is long with a mildly bitter, but spicy backbite in my throat and palate. My empty glass has a rich rum and brown sugar smell which is very pleasing to nose after the rum is gone. The burn is much gentler than the Appleton Estate Reserve, and I have no problem sipping this rum straight or with ice.
The Afterburn 9/10
I like Appleton rums. The flavour profile is very consistent as you move from the VX, to the Reserve to the Extra. At each stage of the experience more complexity and flavour is added. The Appleton Extra seems to be a larger jump in quality from the Reserve, than the Reserve was from the VX.
Suggested Cocktail:
I have found that the Appleton Extra is one of my favourite premium rums to mix with cola and in cocktails. It adds so much extra flavour that even though the rum is pricier than a regular mixer, the resulting drink is well worth the effort. The Appleton Extra with its complex flavour profile works very well in duo cocktails like the El Padrino, and the Royal Baptiste (click on the link and scroll down the page to find the cocktail).
I try, however, to be original; so thought I would try to come up with a new cocktail for the Appleton Extra. My thoughts were to the subtle flavours of citrus and orange peel which I found under the more dominant flavours of spicy oak, brown sugar, and charred caramel which I thought could accentuated with a nice sweet liqueur. Using real fruit juice would continue this theme and an orange slice garnish would top off the presentation. Looking in my cupboard I located a bottle of Galliano and the Appleton Extra Swizzle was born.
The Appleton Extra Swizzle
1 ½ oz Appleton 12 Extra
½ oz Galliano
1 oz Pineapple Juice
½ oz Lime Juice
¼ tsp Sugar Syrup
Pour into a tall glass full of cracked ice and stir until the glass frosts
Garnish with an orange slice
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Note: When I compare my old review to the new one I see the scores have changed only a little overall as I seem to have developed a better appreciation for the spirit. However my abilirty to describe what I taste seems to have improved remarkably. I think this is mainly a function of patience. I take more time to enjoy nuances than I used to and this reflects in the write up. Anyway below is the original write up for the Appleton Extra 12 Year Old Rum which was the review I opened this site with.
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- IN THE BOTTLE (4.5/5)
Decent funky bottle with nice labeling. I wish I would see more corks on the rum bottles.IN THE GLASS (8.5/10)
Typical Appleton aroma with a rich look to the rum. The rum is slightly nutty and has a hint of vanilla. Of course we also get the rich brown notes of rummy molasses.IN THE MOUTH (53.5/60)
The rum tastes very good but just a tad bitter. I think that this must be the younger base rum used in the Legacy as it has that same flavour profile but a more pronounced bitter note. The molasses has a slightly burnt taste and overall there is a woody note stemming from the time in the oak. I also get a slight citrus note which is very pleasant.IN THE THROAT (13.0/15)
On hot days this really feels nice with coke. It quenches the thirst and leaves a nice flavourful feel in the mouth. I also seem to get a weird pecan backbite at the back of the throat right at the end of the taste experience. Usually the nutty tastes are in the palate rather than the throat.The AFTERBURN (8.5/10)
Definitely a good rum on a hot day and a real pleaser with my friends.
This review first published by:
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jimminpr said
Welcome Chip. A very nice review and pic to start your blog!
swashbuckle said
Nice review, I also read your 30 yr and 21 yr reviews as well and I feel your review of the 21 yr was spot on. I have a bottle of the 30 yr I have not tried yet. Personally my favorite of the Appleton’s and my favorite rum overall is the 12 yr Appleton. Spiced rum is what I love and taste is what I love about it, I agree the oakiness of the 21 could be toned down a notch but its still a good overall rum, Its just due to my personal taste I like the 12 year the most. I take from your reviews that we may have similar taste and therefore I would probably agree with your review of the 30 year as well. Personally I like the use of oak barrels in wines and in rums as well also scotch and bourbon but when it comes to spiced rums there is such a thing as overdoing the oakiness. I have been to Appleton’s distillery and they are not using new oak barrels but I still taste what you you refer to as the tannins starting to overpower the spices in the 21 yr. As a fan of balance I find the 12 yr rum to be my favorite rum and not just in the Appleton selection but overall. Many people disagree saying they love this or that better many liking the 21 yr more but not many people I know have had the 30 yr. To me it comes down to taste and everybody is different, I believe the oak tannin you taste and smell is actually added for taste and not from the barrels.