Aroma visualization from community tastings
Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years
If you're expecting a big Jamaican funk bomb, this isn't it. The nose leans fruity with banana, caramel and vanilla, but the palate turns dry, woody and spicy, with dark chocolate and a little coffee. The ester funk is contained rather than wild. Members call it one of the best affordable ways into Jamaican rum, though a few find it thin and a touch hot when sipped neat.
The community says- Value for money
- Easy Jamaican intro
- Thin neat
View price history
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Buy Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years:
Compare all 3 shop offers from 53.45 €
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The look inside the bottle
How does Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years taste?
Aggregated from 1,062 community reviews.
Woody, contained-funk daily Jamaican Most see it as a well-priced, well-rounded everyday Jamaican and a great entry point. The catch: it's more woody and dry than funky, and some find it thin neat, better in a Mai Tai.
People easing into Jamaican rum and cocktail makers
Anyone chasing big Hampden-style hogo and esters
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
99 of 1,062 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
How is Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 7.0 sits in the “Good” band. 36% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 17% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
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Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Community voices
What does the community say?
72% rate it between 6 and 8. 19 selected write-ups from 1,062 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
One of the community's most-rated rums
Review by Lutz Lungershausen
Most helpful positive review
Appleton has turned my originally rather cultural interest in rum into enthusiasm. I have been traveling to the Caribbean regularly for over 20 years, and in recent years I have always been drawn to Jamaica. Naturally, I have also visited Appleton Estate Distillery: On the premises, the aromas of Dunder in the air are intensely enhanced by the tropical heat ... this is exactly how Appleton 12yo smells and tastes. Warm, soft, rich, full of aromas, lovely, simply very, very tasty. I measure all other rums by this rum.
Review by Stefan Persson
Most helpful mixed review
A very good everyday rum. The nose is rather round but mostly woody and fruity with a little spiciness and a little roasted. At the palate the aromas comes back rather strongly as flavors (except for the roastiness) with a certain sweetness.
Review by Shtafermo Shtafermo
A good old classic. A pretty good humble and contained Jamaica funkiness. Very fruity, vanilla & caramel still present, woody, and subtle spiciness, like cinnamon. Good texture. This one never fails when you need a cozy soft funkiness to chill out.
Review by MarcT
Mild. Not very funky. Good for sipping, but better as Mixer.
Review by Adrian Wahl
Beautiful wood notes and simply a classic. Of course, no High Ester profile, but Appleton 12 belongs for me in a well-stocked home bar.
Review by TheJackDrop
"The ultimate gift bottle? we have a lot of sweetness, some nice aromas, a nice decanter, in short, it's worth the price without being crazy. To sum up, my tasting notes: Nose: Orange In the mouth: Orange, Vanilla "
Review by Godspeed
A truly classic mixed distillation rum and one of the best and most versatile cocktail rums out there. Great as an occasional little sipper too. Delicious oaky taste and a little more gentlemanly than many other jamaicans. You won’t find some hogo esther explosion here but it does have a taste that is uniquely its own. A must-try mega-classic that does what it does very well indeed and at an incredibly affordable price point to boot.
Review by Tim
On the nose, an explosion of fruity notes coupled with caramel. In addition, wood and vanilla and ester rather in the background. In the mouth then comes typical Jamaica the dry, smoky, spicy direction with dark chocolate, which has completely replaced the fruit from the nose. The musty/fermented component is still within limits here. Hints of caramel and fruit in the mouth, but really only subtly. In the finish almost atypical for Jamaica. Probably the best and most affordable rum for an entry into the world of Jamaica!
Review by Andrew Mainprice
Nice and dry
Review by Andi
Great Jamaican for all beginners. Woody notes, slightly sweet, lots of fruit.
Review by rum_sk
Great rum one of my top 10. The old bottling of this Jamaican treasure is a little bit better than the new one. Body is fuller and tastier. I will not go down explaining the profile of this one. Come on. Everybody knows it, everybody loves it. Who doesn't is a fool :P
Review by Rumclub Latvia
Still one of ‘must have’ in bar. Still great quality and value for money. Try for sure hundreds of rums, but still come back to this from time to time.
Review by Quentin Demillière
Très agréable à déguster. Ce rhum me laissais perplexe mais une fois en bouche les saveurs sont présentes. Un nez assez corsé et boisé mais lorsqu’il est en bouche, sa rondeur et sa douceur prennent le dessus. A essayer.
Review by Joachim Guger
Schönes Geschmacksprofil (Eiche, getrocknete Früchte, Orange). Mehr Funk als der 21 Years, leider fehlen ein paar PS bzw. Prozente. Trotzdem ein guter Rum für Einsteiger. Und um 30€ der mit Abstand beste auf dem Platz. Der Appleton eignet sich auch super zum Mixen. Mai Tai wird sehr gut, El Presidente ebenso.
Review by ManuelP
Well balanced treat. A rich foil to the wilder rums. Funk is there but this is an impressively rounded funk profile
Review by RumisRum
Very good value for a quality rum
Review by Jonas Kofod
Nice and smooth. I only get the spices and wood. All the fruity that other tastes I don’t get.
Review by Gyuli
Compared to Appleton 21, it's less concentrated, with less of the characteristic dry texture, chocolate and coffee notes, and more of the Hampden-style solvent esters and oak spice. It's spicier than the 21 year old and has an alcoholic buzz. The difference in finish is obvious, but for the price, it's acceptable. I think it would be great in cocktails and as a dram, and it would be great for everyday or party use.
Review by Robert P
At first it comes across as a bit brandy-like. Then a toffee chewiness rolls forth, finishing in a spiced toffeeapple note. And ends a bit brandy-like again. It's what I'd consider medium-bodied, quite sweet, without being overly so. Definitely not sweetened. Pleasantly woody and slightly musty.
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Expert reviews
3 critics scored it, averaging 7.5/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
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Expert review by RUMprobiert
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Expert review by Le Blog À Roger
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Expert review by Zucker und Zeste
Top mix Jamaican that fits into all drinks that call for a Jamaican and is also pleasing pure and not overwhelming even beginners.
Details about Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Jamaica, distilled by Appleton Estate, at 43%.
Community purchases
1,081 bottles logged by 947 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
41% opened, 210 emptied and repurchased.
What does Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years cost?
Community paid 24–45 €.
Current best price: 53.45 € – above 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.
1,081 purchased · 1,113 tasted · 437 wishlist · as of
About the Appleton Estate distillery
The Appleton Estate distillery is located in Jamaica. Rums from Appleton Estate have been reviewed 4,294 times with an average of 7.8/10.
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