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
- But: Thin neat
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The look inside the bottle
How does Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years taste?
Aggregated from 1,463 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.
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98 of 1,463 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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How is Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 7.0 sits in the “Good” band. 31% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 19% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
61% rate it between 6 and 8. 47 selected write-ups from 1,463 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
One of the community's most-rated rums
Review by Shtafermo Shtafermo
A good old classic. A pretty good humble and contained Jamaica funkyness. Very fruity, vanilla & caramel still present, woody, and subtitle spicyness, like cinnamon. Good texture. This one never fails when you need a cozy soft funkyness to chill out
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 Leo Krüper
Most helpful critical review
Super entry into Jamaica with great PLV and availability. Relatively heavy for rums of this price range. Is excellent for cocktails.
Review by Stefan Persson
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 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 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 Andi
Great Jamaican for all beginners. Woody notes, slightly sweet, lots of fruit.
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 Torsten vom Endt
not quite as tasty
Review by RumisRum
Very good value for a quality rum
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 Wilson
I like the smell but the taste, not so much.
Review by lukasdrinkinghabits
Tasting the last drops of a bottle of the old edition that is about a year old. The rum is probably significantly over-oxidized. In my memory it was much rounder and softer. Now there is a noticeable alcohol tinge. It lacks a lot of the things that usually characterize Jamaicans: hardly any esters, hardly any biscuits/marzipan and in particular the tropical fruits are hardly present, instead there are dry fruits and a lot of wood. Not very complex in the mouth, rather weak in taste, but too alcoholic. For me, it almost only ends up in a cocktail - where it cuts a better figure.
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 HenryL
Great nose, banana and fruit. Much less fruity in the mouth, but very woody and spicy. Finish not particularly long but tasty with light espresso and cocoa
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Relaxed, solid entry Jamaican with fair MSRP and well suited for cocktails. Pure a bit weak and thin and mainly spicy.
Review by Anonymous
Very alcoholic/spicy
Review by Stan Hardy
toller Einsteiger Rum. Gut im PLV
Review by MarcT
Mild. Not very funky. Good for sipping, but better as Mixer.
Review by Hans-Peter Jank
Der Appleton Estate Rare Blend ist die vorletzte Version des 12 Jahrigen. Angenehm pur und als Mixer. Ich verwende diesen Rum für den Mai Tai und Planters Punch. Dieses Rum hat vieles was einen guten Jamaikaner ausmacht. An den Jamaican Rare Gold aus 70ern kommt er aber nicht Ran.
Review by Jack M
Good quality rum, but a bit dull and especially so for Jamaican rum. I also prefer the 8yr which has a touch of funk. The nose is wood, vanilla and some dried fruit. The palate is wood, spice, vanilla and orange peel. The finish is dry and woody with a touch of bitterness.
Review by BIGmama
Very woody- not my thing
Review by ThreeH
Der Naseneindruck ist überraschend gut. Etliche unterschiedliche Nuancen. Karamell, Banane aber auch Würze und Holz. Lecker. Am Gaumen trocken und ehrlich mit mittlerem Abgang und etwas Schärfe. Guter Standard.
Review by Ty Hill
Sweet and fruity, decent lengthen finish. Slight burn, not bad.
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 Christoph
Mein Standard Mai Tai Rum gemixt mit 1 cl High Ester Rum.
Review by Matthieu Rhum
Pas le meilleur !
Review by AlexKelo
Really solid rum, great for sipping
Review by martin slezák
Farba mahagón Vôňa tropické ovocie, banán ananás , guava , drevo Chuť drevo, korenie, ovocie Záver stredne dlhý drevo, korenie
Review by Mr Return
Ein schöner, leicht zu trinkender Rum. In der Nase leicht funky. Etwas Klebstoff, nicht zu aufdringlich, Banane, Vanille und Kaffee. Am Gaumen dunkle Schokolade, Karamell, etwas Holz und eine gewisse Nussigkeit. Der Abgang lang und rund, von süßer Vanille über dunkle Schokolade bis hin zu Kaffeenoten. Ein schöner Rum als Begleiter zu einem guten Buch oder einer geselligen Runde mit guten Freunden.
Review by Stijn Zino
Like sweet lemonade 😆 good bar rum.
Review by JonasTh
Initieel lekker, maar de nasmaak steekt tegen
Review by RumCzar
Appleton is consistently just fine. It's a shame that they actively avoid making rum with classic Jamaican hogo. Appleton is a mixer. I won't rebuy unless I need it for a party.
Review by Blaidor
Smell 6,5/10 Taste 6/10 Aftertaste 7/10 Image 6,5/10 (info about rum, bottle, carton-box, sugar free, marketing....) Total impression 6,5/10 ------------------ BTL No added sugar 👍
Review by AlPhilipo
Ein schöner, runder Rum, mit ordentlicher Fassnote. Das Holz kommt gut rüber, ist aber gut eingebunden in Karamell. Leicht fruchtig, ohne den Jamaica Funk.
Review by Hordamer Mendelbaum
Vanilla, pine, oak, spice. Cinnamon & clove on the nose. Butterscotch
Review by Leslie Haigh
over rated in my opinion but still a good drink
Review by Josef Barot
Velice chutny AE na celovečerní popíjení
Review by Heffernan
Pur getrunken, leichte Vanille, leicht rauchig, aber bei den ersten Schlücken auch ganz leicht scharf. Schlecht ist der Appleton 12 Jahre nicht, in diesem Preissegment sind aber durchaus bessere Alternativen vorhanden. Andererseits bin ich manchmal einfach in der Stimmung für einen etwas stärkeren Rum wie den Appleton ;-D
Review by JB
Un nez éther colle que j'apprécie moyennement mais un sacré caractère et une belle longueur en bouche.
Review by Roman Staroń
Pijalny i dobry do polecenia wśród znajomych.
Review by RumRhush
A conseiller en mixologie
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 Richard Krupa
Chut i vune top
Review by Sebastiaan Linssen
After openening this bottle during a tasting with Jamaican and Bajan rum, my first impression was not positive (rated 6). The taste was a bit too 'funky'. After having revisited this this bottle quite a few times, the end is getting near and my appreciation of the 'funkiness' keeps improving. Compared to the Appleton 21, this is definitely a bang for bucks. I would recommend tasting them together.
Review by Mateusz
It might be a good starting place for Jamaican rum, but I think that the alcoholic burn is a bit too strong and alcohol is not as well integrated as I would expect and the barrel notes dominate Jamaican character.
Review by Andrew Mainprice
Nice and dry
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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.
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 29 € – 53 €
from 2 sales, latest 05/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 45 €
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 Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Jamaica, distilled by Appleton Estate, at 43%.
Community purchases
1,091 bottles logged by 957 collectors.
A drinker's rum.
41% opened, 212 emptied and repurchased.
What does Appleton Rare Blend 12 Years cost?
Community paid 24–45 €.
Current best price: 55.30 € – 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+ →
+8 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
1,091 purchased · 1,538 tasted · 453 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.
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