Aroma visualization from community tastings
Appleton Reserve Rare Old Jamaican Rum
What surprises people is how fruit-forward this old Appleton is — banana, pineapple and citrus with only light oak, a whisper of smoke and those faint machine-grease and tar notes. Tropical and dried fruit on the palate, spice and leather underneath. The nose wins everyone over; a couple of tasters find the palate a touch watery at 43%, but the spicy finish runs long.
The community says- Complex fruity nose
- Long spicy finish
- But: Slightly watery palate
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The look inside the bottle
How does Appleton Reserve Rare Old Jamaican Rum taste?
Aggregated from 27 community reviews.
Fruity, elegant old Jamaican, gentle at 43% Members love this vintage Appleton for its complex, fruity nose and long spicy finish. The main gripe: at 43% the palate can feel light, even a little watery.
People who want an elegant, fruity Jamaican that isn't a funk bomb
Anyone chasing high-ABV punch or heavy pot-still funk
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
6 of 27 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
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How is Appleton Reserve Rare Old Jamaican Rum rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.6 sits in the “Very good” band. 96% 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. 8 selected write-ups from 27 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Most helpful positive review
25.05.2019 Sitting at home enjoying some nice samples. Notes Medium dark in colour. Nose Round, banana, light roasted wood, herbs, faint chocolate, light smoke. Palate Round, light, fruity, pineapple, light tobacco, light floral, faint coffee. Finish Medium long, light, light roasted wood, spices, anise, fruits.
Review by Happy Oner
Most helpful mixed review
Žádné tělo, vodička,
Review by cigares
Un rhum dégusté au German Rum Festival à Berlin in 2024. Un nez doux et vif à la fois, avec des fruits tropicaux, des agrumes et des fruits jaunes, un bois léger et comme un côté graisse pour machines. Un fruité réellement complexe. La bouche est légèrement acqueuse mais les arômes ne sont pas loin, beaucoup de fruits, toutes sortes de fruits, sur la fraîcheur. Des fleurs aussi. Le bois est en soutient mais discret. La finale est plutôt longue avec des arômes de fruits et, tout à la fin, le côté graisse de machine et le bois. Un très beau rhum, extraordinairement complexe pour un rhum simple.
Review by zabo
Of all the Ceramic bottlings, probably the one with the most fruitiness. Thanks again to Rumauction for inviting me to a little dram. All in all, a really tasty one. And that with the low ABV. If this had a few % more, it would have scored significantly higher.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Great vintage Appleton. Unusually meaty umami note and very smooth and balanced! Really awesome how Appleton used to be made back then, great exciting opportunity, many thanks Dejan and Sebastian! But I like the 12-year-old just a bit better.
Review by Joachim Guger
Very fruity, smoky, a bit woody. Light lacquer and tar notes. Balanced and well integrated. Really great nose. On the palate, tropical and dried fruits. Wood and spice. Now it’s a bit watery, but the bottle might have been open for a while. The freshly opened 12-year-old ceramic pot didn’t have that. Very spicy, long finish. Over time, honey comes through. 🍯 Enchanting nose, a bit weaker on the palate but a great finish. The 43% ABV naturally sets limits, but it’s an awesome rum – and better than the 12-year-old. Hard to stay objective here. A favorite distillery, distilled when Ian Fleming spent his winters in Jamaica, bottled around the time I was born.
Review by Oliver
Really great vintage appleton. Lightweight, but not boring. Perfect for a relaxed entry.
Review by Pavel Spacek
Amazing profile, it should have about 7% more ABV to keep more flavor.
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 400 € – 420 €
from 4 sales, latest 05/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 464 €
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 Reserve Rare Old Jamaican Rum
A rum from Jamaica, distilled by Appleton Estate, at 43%.
Community purchases
6 bottles logged by 6 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
0% opened, 0 emptied and repurchased.
6 purchased · 27 tasted · 11 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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