Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002
Made for people who want a Jamaican with real oak and dried-fruit depth but not a funk bomb. This 20-year Appleton from Velier is the fruitiest of the Hearts run: cherry, dried apricot, orange peel, warm roasted oak and vanilla, with only light esters. Several tasters call it rounder and more accessible than its siblings; a few find it too woody and bitter neat.
The community says- Fruitiest Hearts vintage
- Well-integrated 63%
- But: Woody, bitter finish
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002 taste?
Aggregated from 149 community reviews.
Fruity, oaky Jamaican with light funk Loved for its fruit-forward, roasted-oak profile and well-integrated 63%. The catch: it's less complex than other Hearts vintages, and some find it too woody, bitter or thin on the finish.
Jamaica fans who want fruit and oak over heavy funk
People chasing high-ester funk or a smooth, low-ABV sipper
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
65 of 149 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
Your next rum
One difference each to this rum.
Rated better
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 1994
8.8/10305 €
More intense
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 1995
8.6/10312 €
Similar rating, cheaper
Hampden Great House (Distillery Edition 2021)
8.6/10107 €First choice: 46 of 56 tasters who tried both prefer it.
How is Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.5 sits in the “Very good” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
93% rate it 8 or higher. 49 selected write-ups from 149 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Oliver
Most helpful positive review
On the nose a great combination of fruits (cherry, apples, mango), citrus and sweet notes (caramel, vanilla). Quite dry on the palate with red fruits (cherries again) and spicy wood notes. Little esters, but a pronounced spiciness and creaminess. Great Jamaican rum with little funk but power.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Most helpful mixed review
Is similar to the 2003 already just not my profile. Way too much wood, hardly any fruit, a bit spicy and earthy, a lot of tannins and also the alcohol could be integrated a bit better. Has for me no nice drinking flow. Unfortunately not my case.
Review by Jakob
Round profile with sweet notes of vanilla sugar and caramel on the one hand and a fresh potpourri of tropical-citrus fruits as well as red berries, mango and apples on the other. The cask also makes its presence felt with mild woody aromas on the nose and a subtle bitterness on the palate. The Hearts with the most present fruity note. Very nice.
Review by Dr.Django
Two Appleton in a glass today: Rum Shark: The nose is alcoholically sharp and unpleasantly pungent. It continues in the same way on the palate. Unfortunately far too alcoholic. Some fruit and floral notes. Not even that good. Hearts 2002: This is a completely different caliber. Chocolaty, woody and garnished with dark fruits. Great rum that has become even better in the bottle.
Review by SaibotZtar
Exciting... you can clearly see the somewhat younger age.... not quite so round less barrel influence ... Floral notes, somehow solvent and glue. Somewhat bitter and rough, at least pure. I will test it in May Tai.
Review by Basti
Appleton Hearts Crosstasting with the vintages 2002, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999 (RX15475, RX15474, TBD) 2002: Fruity and spicy with a hint of menthol. Lots of wood and spices on the palate, slightly astringent and bitter, very subtle fruity notes. 1993: Significantly more intense with more spices and more from the cask, plus dirty notes that remind me of TDL or Chairmans. Extremely dry and bitter on the palate with a good barrel impact, slightly charred. I miss something fruity here. The finish is very long! 1994: Similar to 1993, but more fruit and a clear minty note. Clear parallels on the palate too, but not quite as bitter and dirty and fruit notes are still discreetly present. 1999: Lots of wood and spices, with dried fruit and tropical fruit in the background. Fruits in the background. Lots of spices and wood on the palate, but hardly any fruit notes, but no charred/bitter notes either. 1995: Again, dirty aromas with tar, leather and varnish. Similar to 1993/1994, the woody, bitter aromas also dominate the palate here. For me: 1994 ->8.8 2002 + 1999 ->8.7 1993 + 1995 ->8.6
Review by zabo
Edit: It would be a dream to be able to try the whole Appleton Hearts range. My conclusion would be that this is a really high-quality range. All in all, they are all great bottlings. I personally find it difficult to choose a true winner here. Only the 84 falls a little short. Both it and the 02 can't quite keep up, although that's complaining at a high level. However, if I had to choose one, it would probably be the 03 because it was the first one I tasted from the series. Yes, what can you say for 125€ at LMDW - a nobrainer! A super grenade for the price. A comparison with the other Hearts is still pending, but for the time being a more than good 8. I unknowingly gave it more than an hour in a jar with a lid. Just super tasty how it developed.
Review by cigares
Rum Friendly Club Advent Calendar, day 20. A nose of esters and tropical fruit with varnish, young wood and a slightly unpleasant acetone edge. The palate is soft on entry, then the fruit and ester aromas gain strength, supported by the wood. The wood becomes bitter on the finish. The finish is rather long and surprisingly fruity at the very end. A very fine rum!
Review by Leo Krüper
Warm vanilla wood nose. Some spice and bitterness on the palate, but still within limits. Full pot still power, minimal mint at the back. The alcohol could be a touch better integrated. Unfortunately quite expensive, but a good rum.
Review by DomM
Nice combination of dark notes, spices and a yellow fruit basket. A little rough on the edges.
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
Oops, somehow I thought this was my first Appleton, but it's already the fourth! It's funny that rum from this distillery always seems new to me, I felt the same way when I tasted RX11399. I probably didn't really notice Appleton before, but that has now changed with this specific 2002 vintage. This rum is simply a jewel, it tastes incredibly smooth and round and like Caribbean sunshine and even better than the already very good 2003 (RX11399) - this will be my new vacation rum!
Review by Giorgio Garotti
Of all the Appleton velier releases this one for me is the least convincing!The nose is intriguing while when you taste it it all fades a little too soon!It leaves you with lots of citrus, some spice and a fair amount of cask influence!A few notes of caramel, roasted pineapple and red fruits remain only on the side and a greater presence of them would have helped!Overall a good rum with a few flaws!
Review by Mirko Frosini 🇮🇪
I would have expected much more from both the name and the retail price. So much alcohol that it makes everything elusive. Still a good rum, but personally I would never spend 300 euros on it, maybe barely 60 euros. Let me say that the world of rums, but not only, often presents rums with excessive costs but poor quality. Just look at Samaroli or Velier who now too frequently, exploiting their name, offer bottles for sale at prices at least double their real value. As is often the case, where business is successful, prices go up relegating certain tastings to a small group of people. This creates an inflation that could in the future put a strain on the rum world and close its doors to the masses who will look elsewhere.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#4024 This one has a bit more power in the profile and I can actually get the coffee on the nose. Again nice and fruity with nice roasted wood and some added caramel and spices. This one also draws really nice curtains in the glass and the empty glass has a nice caramel touch. Price to quality is pretty OK though these releases are getting hyped and picked up by people to be auctioned off.
Review by Aussierumfan
Not a bad rum by any means but doesn't stand out massively to me. Quite a nice nose, on the palate it is quite powerful and maybe even slightly rough? I'm getting lots of fruits, some caramel, vanilla and maybe coffee? A shortish finish. I am getting a bit of barrel influence as well. A good rum to try!
Review by mto75
Today the 1993 in direct comparison with the 2002. This Hearts-typical note, which somehow smells like polish or floor polish, I have with both in the nose, with the 02er a bit more pronounced. The 93 goes a bit more in the direction of freshness, herbs and tobacco, the 02 more in the direction of orange liqueur marzipan cake and brioche. On the palate, both with dried fruit, the longer aging is clearly evident in the 93, expressed in a slight (but not unpleasant) bitterness, tannins and black tea. The 02 has even more sweetness and goes more in the direction of allspice and latte. Both again top notch bottlings, but the 93 is already a bit more complex.
Review by Johannes
Slightly fruity notes paired with caramel, marzipan and barrel influence. I like very much!
Review by LukaŽiga
8,8:On the nose, tons of fruits like mango, bitter orange, dried apricots, cherries, apple and unripe banana, camphor, toasted/roasted wood with caramel, coffee, chocolate, pastry, biscuits, bump into our nosetrils, very tempting. On aeration, medicinal, chemical notes arise, like rubber, plastic, various aspects of wood with nuts, vanilla, baking spices, milk chocolate and fruits like lemon peel, as the molasses is flowery. 8,8:On the palate, the attack is tasty, buttery, creamy and round with roasted oak notes, caramelized, pastry, later cream toffee, spicy with vanilla and allspice, fruity with pineapple, banana, mango, citrus fruits like bitter orange, cherries, the apples are baked, camphor is flowing underneath, also some rubber. 8,7:The finish is rather long, dry&tannic, as roasted oak with mocha, caramelized nuts, sone caramel, spicy, pairs grassy, earthy molasses with root and various tropical, citrus and dried fruits.
Review by Joachim Guger
Appleton Hearts 2003 - 2002 - 1993Nose: All three very, very similar. Same marque? Banana bread, dried apples, licorice, caramel, fine spice, glue and glue. Powerful and warm. Compared to the 2003, the 2002 is a bit drier, dustier, a bit more licorice and less fruit . The 1993 is a bit woodier and more complex. All three great.Mouth: 2003 and 2002 again very similar. The 2002 a bit woodier and spicier. The 1993 then again...maybe a touch too much.Conclusion: all three shine with a nice flavor profile. All three highest craftsmanship in terms of quality, integration of alcohol and wood maturity. The latter also applies to the 1993, 29 years of tropical storage and - matter of taste - just fine. Which one do I like best? Difficult decision, probably the 2002.what I miss? The variety. How many Marques can Appleton offer? Is that all after 7 bottlings?now another Muckerl has flown in and committed suicide....
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
Round and elegant on the nose, cherry, vanilla, unripe banana and apple on nose and palate. Very nice to sip. Thanks Tobias for opportunity to try. Edit from today. Quite enjoyable on the nose, on palate it's a bit too medicinal for me. However adding a couple of drops of water helped me to balance it, bringing out some sweetness and mint.
Review by Michael Schillheim
Definitely weaker in direct comparison with the 93 and 98. Mango, lemon peel, lots of wood and an alcoholic to chemical note on the nose, which I find a little disturbing. The palate is predominantly woody, mango, peppery and bitter. Bitter also introduces the medium to long finish.
Review by Steffmaus🇩🇰
Tried at my favorite cocktail-bar in Copenhagen. The nose is very orange-like and it gets better after a few minutes in the glass. Complex taste from the first sip, and I'm getting notes of molasses, ripe fruits, oak and some fusel oil.
Review by Mirco
A lot of wood / bitter and for me little fruit. Am somewhat disappointed. Alcohol could be better integrated.
Review by Nivius
Wow die Congener hitten übelst. Mein erster guter Appleton und ich hab ehrlich nich damit gerechnet, dass ich das Zeug so geil finde - zum preis vob 120 ein absoluter Schnapper ... für die 400 Geld die auf dem deutschten Markt verlangt werden ... naja .... find ich übertrieben, aber steht ja luca gargano drauf .... Nase : Man merkt, hier is was im Spiel, was man nicht direkt als Fruchtsäureester beschreiben würde, aber einen viel schwereren Geschmack auf der Zunge hinterlässt - die übrigen Congener und eine leichte Glyzerinnote und fast etwas Clarendon. Am Gaumen geht es dann weiter - voll aufgeladen mit Aromen von Holz, Zigarre, Glyzerin, Fudge/Caramell, Vanillinbackaroma, Mango und Apfel - und ein bisschen erinnert er mich an einen weniger fruchtigen Vertreter der EMB Clarendons. Für mich eine klare Überaschung, die ich mir zum hier veranschlagtem Preis niemals zugelegt hätte. Macht sich auch hervorragend im MaiTai und Daiquiri - da braucht man keinen Wray and Nephew 17 mehr 😇😋 Auch die 63% sind verdammt gut wingebunden.
Review by Serge
In my opinion, very successful. Wonderfully fruity nose with caramel, some wood, (light) coffee and also very light menthol. Palate also very tasty. The RRP is still okay.
Review by Eric Frechin
J ai clôturé la dégustation d une dizaine de échantillons par celui là. Il a bien trouvé sa place. Je l ai trouvé un peu sombre, un alcool très bien intégré qui lui donne une puissance maîtrisée. C est un Jamaïcain tourné vers la rondeur et plutôt gourmand. on est loins des rhums funky Jamaïcains. Ce qui m a agréablement surpris est la touche de fraîcheur en milieu et fin de bouche.
Review by Marcel.
Beautifull rum, very sophisticated and balanced. Ian a sucker for these low ester Jamaicans. Some cherry, menthol caramel, dried mango, very floral. The finish is medium long and falls of a bit at the end. The alcohol is nicely integrated, but I would like a little more mouthfeel or oiliness. At msrp it’s certainly overpriced though.
Review by ilRummista
Great product. One of the best of the Hearts series collection from the over-the-top palates of Joy Spence (Appleton) and Luca Gargano (Velier) . A rounded rum but at the same time full of character and notes that make it unique.
Review by Timo Groeger
Leider auch grad nicht mein Lieblingsrum. Sehr fruchtig in der Nase, vor allem getrocknete Früchte haben wir hier. Am Gaumen meines Erachtens sehr viele vergorene (tropische) Früchte, vor allem Bitterorange.
Review by Andi
Dry, lots of wood, some fruit and decent punch.
Review by Gyuli
Nose: Similar to Appleton 21, but with stronger esters, raisins. Drier and a bit lighter than 21. Flavor: Tastes different from Appleton 21. Seaweed with salt water, tannins (almost powdery) that I've noticed in Mauritius rums. Quite a bit of oak spice and bitter esters, which fills the mouth as the glass is emptied. Finish: Not much different from the notes at swirling, with a bit of squid fishiness and tannins. There are also light, dry leather notes.
Review by Jarek
Franconian Rum Tasting Gang & Jakob, 2023-07-27 Part 1: This time all Appleton Hearts at the start (1984, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002 and 2003). For me, the 1994 is still the best of the bunch, closely followed by the 1993 and 1998. The 2002 was also surprisingly tasty. The 1984 is right up there on the nose, but falls short on the palate due to the excessive wood influence.
Review by Fuwi
A little rougher than the 2002, not as pleasing but still a very good Jamaican! Doesn't come across as an ester bomb that necessarily brings a lot of funk into the glass, but still has a lot of oomph and complex aromas with dry fruits, dark influences of vanilla and roasted barrel parts. Really good fun!
Review by Martin Spooner
Unobtrusive light nose. Relatively roasted with vanilla. The taste has something sweet for me. More pleasant than the 18 year old and also tastes better to me. However, the younger one has a much longer finish. Corrected slightly downwards in the post-tasting.
Review by V. Chbrd
Citrus fruits, spices, resin and peat create a powerful, complex cocktail on the nose and palate. A gourmet rum, however, smoothed by a long, pastry-like finish in a blend of almonds, yeast and honey.
Review by Skyfly
Jamaica ohne Hampden Tasting: sehr komplexe und angenehme Abfüllung. Neben tropischen Früchten auch Trockenfrüchte. Nase etwas besser als Gaumen. Dazu viel Gewürze, Holz, Vanille und Röstaromen. Alkohol sehr gut eingebunden
Review by Djehey
Hmmm... Je ne sais pas exactement quoi mais ces Appleton heart ont quelques chose qui me plaît beaucoup... C'est très intense, on est en Jamaïque mais en fait pas vraiment, les fruits maturés au soleil se mêlent aux bois dans une marmelade qui me fait tourner les sens. Un réel plaisir.
Review by Gasparini Andrea
Buono ma niente di che, poco complesso
Review by Tim
Im Vergleich zum 1993 ist dieser Appleton eine andere Art von Rum. Sehr rund und angenehm, etwas "einfacher" wenn man so will. Natürlich Früchte, aber auch Karamell und eine gute Ladung Röstiges. Weniger bis gar nicht pflanzlich im Mund, dafür wieder mehr Karamell. Insgesamt geht die Komplexität verloren, was aber immer noch einen sehr guten Rum hinterlässt.
Review by Filip Šikula
RFC Golden Advent Calendar 2024. My beloved Hearts series from Appleton, where all the pieces so far are big hitters. The 2002 edition is unsurprisingly no exception. A woody nose and a mouthful of fruit. Wonderful!
Review by kondgab
Vanilla, caramel and fruits. Oak and coffee
Review by Henry Davies
A rum that is super easy to drink. Started well and enjoyed a lot. Single marque pot still Jamaican but overall a lot more tamed than most of its Jamaican brothers. The nose is sweet and balanced with vanilla, orange peel and nuts. Really exceptional first sip, a strong orange blossom hit, then hints of molasses, warm oak, and vanilla. Really enjoyable and powerful rum. The finish let’s it down slightly as the flavours thin over time but overall I enjoyed it a lot. One to be shared and drink with friends with this level of approachability.
Review by Gregor
Nose blood orange, wood, plum, alcohol is present Palate: Plum, berries, blood orange, vanilla and some wood on the finish, alcohol better integrated than in the nose but somewhat metallic and slightly sharp. The longer in the glass the better (> 1.5h)
Review by martin slezák
Farba jantár až mahagón Vôňa drevo, korenie, mentol, sladkosť, ovocie intenzívna, náznak technickosti Chuť technickosť, mentol, ovocie, káva, čokoláda, krémovosť, drevo, korenie Záver dlhý ovocie,káva, čokoláda, drevo
Review by Madi Dromamad
Le nez est très fruités (noix, pomme, ananas), les esters sont présents mais l'ensemble est discret pour jamaïquain de cet âge. En bouche c'est une grosse surprise. C'est très sec et peu "funky". Après la surprise, l'ensemble est bien équilibré et on a envie d'y revenir. La finale est très intéressante, plutôt sur des notes amères (tabac, cuir). Il faudra une autre dégustation dans un contexte différent.
Review by paulgi86
This is Appleton Estate rum for “grown ups” sounds an unusual way to word this but it’s more sophisticated, more flavourful and more complex rum compared to the standard 21YO Nose - another consistent nose! It’s roasted and toasted everything with this one! Coffee, espresso, mocha, cocoa, dark chocolate, toasted oak with the slightest whiff of caramel and bitter fruits like bitter orange. If you’ve ever had San Pellegrino Chino, there’s a similar bitter citrus note! Palate - everything largely transfers over to the palate. The roasted coffee notes were really apparent - wished I put this in a cappuccino cup instead! There was also additional notes of dried fruits, prunes, black pepper, allspice and some sweet almost burnt sugar. I found drinking it neat it went a bit hot in the mouth however adding 3-4 drops (nothing more than that) really helped stabilize the spirit on the palate allowing you to experience all the nuances it wants to show you Overall an exceptional and very enjoyable rum that’s been properly presented.
Review by Giuseppe Ambrosio
Al bicchiere ha un bel colore ed e’ abbastanza viscoso. Al naso non e’ troppo aggressivo e si sentono sentori floreali o simili e note legnose con tostatura. Al palato l’alcol si fa sentire e le note floreali si ripropongono più di altri sentori. Finale medio, francamente mi aspettavo qualcosa in più soprattutto con l’invecchiamento abbastanza datato. P.S.: parere prettamente personale
Review by Martin Ekrt
Čekal jsem jinou vůni než sušeného ovoce s trochou kokosu a citrusů, vanilky a obecně koření. Estery se derou na povrch jen zlehka. Nechávám to déle odstát a už víc cítím nemocnici a tropické ovoce. Otvírá se to náramně. Chuťově už to je poznatelná jamajská esterovost, ale když to vezmu ve srovnání s ostatními Hearts, tak tento kousek, i když je dobrý, příliš nevyniká.
Review by Jacques etdom
Au nez, comme en bouche, cela me rappelle un peu les NY 94, avec des fruits tropicaux un peu plus présents et une vivacité plus importante. La banane et la coco sont bien présentes, accompagnées de pomme et de ce côté caramel "assez grillé". Belle et longue finale. L alcool aurait pu être légèrement mieux intégré, cela lui aurait permis de gagner 0.2 a 0.3 point.
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Expert reviews
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Expert review by Rum nagykövet
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Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 95 € – 210 €
from 66 sales, latest 09/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 170 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002
A Pot Still Rum from Jamaica, bottled by Velier, at 63%.
Community purchases
173 bottles logged by 121 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
14% opened, 12 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002 cost?
Community paid 27–278 €.
Current best price: 185.33 € – within the typical community range.
What members actually paid for their bottles. A typical range, not the current shop price. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
+5 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
173 purchased · 155 tasted · 51 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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Oliver · FounderBy rum lovers, for rum lovers
I'm Oliver, and RumX began in 2018 as a small passion project in Stuttgart, back then under the name Rum Tasting Notes.
What began as my digital tasting diary is now the world's most comprehensive platform for rum fans, today carried by a small team with Jakob, Lukas and Katharina, with Robert supporting us as a freelancer. We combine the collective intelligence of our community with an integrated marketplace, so you can choose with confidence, without paperwork, detours, or expert jargon.
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