Aroma visualization from community tastings
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 1999
"Not your typical Jamaican funky rum," as one taster put it — and that's the whole story here. Twenty-one tropical years turned this into something people keep mistaking for Demerara: roasted wood and leather up front, dried fruit and tropical fruit behind, with licorice and herbs running through the palate. The 63% sits remarkably well integrated. A few drops of water pull out more raisin and chocolate.
The community says- Beautiful nose
- Integrated at 63%
- But: Bitter finish
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The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 1999 taste?
Aggregated from 122 community reviews.
Wood-and-herb Jamaican that drinks like Demerara Widely admired across the whole Hearts series — deep, spicy and wood-driven rather than ester-loud. A few find the palate turns bitter and herbal; most call it a favorite.
experienced drinkers who love aged, spice-driven Jamaicans
anyone chasing loud ester funk or easy sweetness
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
58 of 122 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Recommendation
Your next rum
One difference each to this rum.
Fruitier
Velier Long Pond Cambridge STC❤️E 2005
8.8/10221 €
Milder
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2003
8.7/10193 €
Similar rating, cheaper
Habitation Velier Worthy Park Forsyths WPM 2006
8.6/10117 €First choice: 55 of 68 tasters who tried both prefer it.
How is Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 1999 rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.6 sits in the “Very good” band. 97% 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?
89% rate it 8 or higher. 42 selected write-ups from 122 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by Joachim Guger
Most helpful positive review
A classic Appleton is certainly not, there is certainly the 94 New Yarmouth batch much closer to it.Blind I would rather guess Demerara. The nose is beautiful and unique, Appleton also recognizable in the background. Then difficult in the mouth, very much licorice and herbs. The alcohol is super integrated, the 21 years of tropical aging resulted in a lot of depth and richness.Expectations met? No. Still a very interesting beautiful rum.Edit: The bottle is now open for a year. Licorice and herbs have given way to dried fruit. Really great to drink, an excellent rum! Yesterday enjoyed a glass with a perfectly matured Cazadores. A favorite rum that needs a while to develop in the open bottle.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Most helpful mixed review
Very unusual Appleton profile... The nose makes you want more with lots of roasted pineapple and caramel, later herbs and vinegar notes are added, taste then clearly woodier & smokier than expected with strong salty, bitter notes of olive brine, licorice, prune, burnt wood and tobacco. Overall not quite mine, also a slight acetic acid is rather disturbing for me and the alcohol content is not too well integrated.
Review by zabo
Edit Edit: It would be a dream to be able to try the whole Appleton Hearts series. 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. Edit: Tasted it again yesterday in peace and quiet with a cigar and DomM. The rum is simply amazing. Corrected upwards a little again. Franconian Tasting Gang on 19.04.2024 The first and last individual tasting this time on this very advanced evening/night. From memory, but behind the 2003 that is still present in my memory. A complete blind crosstasting of the Hearts series will follow.
Review by DomM
Heavy dark notes for wood and leather on the mos with (dried) fruits and quite some medicinal notes and herbs. Nice. Well balanced on the palate with more sweetness than expected alongside milkchoclate and toffee. Dried fruits show up here again.
Review by Tschusikowsky
19.12.21 RumX Advent calendar blind tasting: On the nose I get floral, earthy notes, geranium, grapes and nuts. The palate is peppery, spicy, fruity, medicinal, confectionery, spices. A great rum. Beautifully complex, there's a lot going on. However, it is too bitter and too sharp-edged for me to give it a higher rating. Retasting: Taste impression remains. Very tasty, like all the rums in the range: great nose. But alcohol is quite sharp-edged in the mouth, clouds it a little for me.
Review by Galli33
#19 RumXCalendar Blind tasting: Nose: fruity, woody, apricot, apple M: anise, licorice, woody, fruity, orange F: wood, anise Prediction: I had little to no time to taste so i went all in predicting this is the appleton hearts 1999, because of the fruity nose and the guyana mouth/finish, approx. 60% and approx. 21 years …. wohooo! Haha thanks for the joke yesterday rumX guys 🤪 Very pleasant to drink. Not to woody, very delicious, but it lacks in the finish. Nose: delicious, fruity, apple, apricot, floral, anise, licorice, woody, orange peal, solvents, glue, spicy Mouth: warm, complex, delicious, dry, herbal, minty, licorice, anise, oak, vanilla, fruity, herbal, spicy Finish: medium, astringend, oak, vanilla, nutty, licorice, anise
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
This was a very nice surprise. I was lucky to get my hands on all 3 releases and this is the first one I sampled yesterday. A rum that brings you to cloud 152 and never let's you down again. A super rich nose with fruit and oak. There is something elegant about the nose. The palate, once you get used to the proof, is even more wonderful than the nose. Spicy, warm, and bit herbal and medicinal. Super long finish and not your typical Jamaican funky rum!
Review by Serge
Leckerer Rum mit toller Nase mit Kleber und etwas medizinischem. Habe mein Sample auf zwei Tastings verteilt … die zweite Runde nach gut 2-3 Wochen deutlich besser. Die Oxidation hat dem Rum gut getan.
Review by Stylo
Nose: the alcohol burn kinda covers most of the initial flavors..although I get some light fruity notes (plums and maybe figs?) then toffee, vanilla, licorice. It slowly develops a very gentle note of wood and leather (I guess..). A couple of drops of water release more of those fruity notes (raisins), together with some herbal/earthy flavors. Palate: wow, unexpected to say the least..it jumps at you with salted caramel notes, then the alcohol burn kicks in, followed by a spicy, peppery note. For me, the best of the initial set!
Review by Basti
Appleton Hearts Crosstasting mit den Jahrgängen 2002, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999 (RX15475, RX15474, TBD) 2002: Fruchtig und würzig mit einem Hauch Menthol. Am Gaumen viel Holz und Gewürze, leicht adstringend und bitter, Fruchtnoten ganz dezent. 1993: Deutlich intensiver mit mehr Gewürze und mehr vom Fass, dazu auch dreckige Noten, die mich an TDL oder Chairmans erinnern. Am Gaumen extrem trocken und bitter mit ordentlichen Fasseinschlag, leicht verkohlt. Mir fehlt hier etwas das Fruchtige. Abgang ist sehr lang! 1994: Ähnlich 1993, jedoch mehr Frucht und eine deutliche Minznote. Auch am Gaumen deutliche Parallelen, jedoch nicht ganz so bitter und dreckig und Fruchnoten sind noch dezent vorhanden. 1999: Viel Holz und Gewürze, mit Trockenfrüchten und trop. Früchten im Hintergrund. Am Gaumen jede Menge Gewürze und Holz, dafür kaum Fruchtnoten, aber auch keine verkohlten/bitteren Noten. 1995: Auch hier wieder dreckige Aromen mit Teer, Leder und Lack. Ähnlich wie 1993/1994. Die holzigen, bitteren Aromen dominieren auch hier am Gaumen. Für mich: 1994 ->8.8 2002 + 1999 ->8.7 1993 + 1995 ->8.6
Review by LukaŽiga
8,8:On the nose, the first impression we get is medicinal with esters and glue, tropical fruits like pineapple, banana, herbaceous molasses and roasted wood notes like leather and caramel, spicy. On aeration, citrus fruits are out, among them also an orange peel, yellow ones, a lot of spices like anise, vanilla and baking spices, the wood is more toasted with notes like pastry and burnt sugar...very balanced with prunes help, flowery and grassy tones. 8,6:On the palate, the attack is quite intense, bitter with esters, glue, herbaceous molasses, tropical, yellow fruits and pretty spicy with allspice, perhaps ginger, the wood is nicely roasted with chocolate, caramel, leather, when rested with salted pastry, grassy and flowery molasses and citrus fruits. 8,8:The finish is round, dry, a bit tannic, as the smoky roasted wood notes complement tropical and dried fruits and some tobacco, with a touch of spices...
Review by Tom Buteneers
RumXmas #19, blind: I have to stop reading here (RumX forum) before I taste, it’s highly influential. I can’t get past everything you’ve described (@Stylo) and agree with most of it. A little bit less salted caramel and more burnt sugar for me. And maybe some orange, orange peel, orange marmelade? A bit like Jaffa cakes? As it sits in the glass, the alcohol fades away in the nose. On the palate however, it remains very present. ABV in the sixties. Guyana or Appleton 1999 seems to me like a good conclusion . The orange thingy does makes me look more towards Appleton 1999. 🥳🙌🏼😎
Review by Benoit Mahe
Le meilleur des trois. Un beau carré de chocolat
Review by Frank
RumX Advent calendar, 19.12., blind. First impression: could be Guyana, but the palate tends towards Jamaica. Woody, fruity and slightly vinegary on the nose. Intense and complex. As with the other two, beautifully orange and caramel and a little maple syrup. Here a little more in the direction of sour cherry and papaya, slightly malty and a hint of licorice at the back. Fresher on the palate than the other two. Woody but with something like saffron and nutmeg. Some caramel here too, but with more bite. Slightly bitter-salty. A fruitiness reminiscent of yellow apple. Clearly lychee and some caramel at the very back of the finish. The second best of the three Hearts after the 94. But I also really like it.
Review by Mike H.
Better in the nose than in the mouth. The herbal taste here is something that I dislike in almost all rums, luckily the wood overshadows it a bit. The chocolate and ester save this rum from a 72 or 73 point note.
Review by SaibotZtar
RumX Advent Calendar 2021 Day 19
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
So, nachdem ich gestern den "neuen" Appleton 1999 (RX26144) im Glas hatte und er mich überraschenderweise nicht überzeugt hat, musste ich ihn heute natürlich noch mal verkosten, und zwar gegen den "alten" Appleton 1999 (RX7801). Und jetzt, nach der Verkostung, bleibe ich (fast) bei meinem gestrigen Verdikt: RX26144 ist ein solider Rum für Fortgeschrittene, der am Gaumen aber leider nicht nur ein Säureproblem hat (nasses Holz), sondern bei dem auch der Alkohol nicht besonders gut eingebunden ist. Ganz anders dagegen RX7801: Ausgewogen, optimal "motorisiert", mit einer tollen und seltenen Wacholdernote sowie Fenchel (?) - Kräuter, wie ich sie im Rum mag. Bitte probiert die beiden Rums selbst mal gegeneinander aus, dann könnt ihr vielleicht verstehen, warum der "neue" Appleton 1999 bei mir nicht ganz so gut abschneidet, wie es angesichts der Eckdaten zu erwarten wäre.
Review by Christian Rudt
After the rum has opened beautiful tropical fruit notes come through accompanied by pleasant spice. Develops a soothing warmth in the finish, which I like very much
Review by MarcT
Damn you, Adrian!
Review by mto75
im direkten Vergleich den 94er, 95er und 99er. Nase: der 94er im Hintergrund mit leichter Minze/Mentholnote, der 99er etwas kräutriger und im Hintergrund Apfelessig (vielleicht auch Balsamico) und Zimtstange. Der 95er mit Orangenschale und Möbelpolitur, die ich auch oft bei 96er Caronis in der Nase habe. Am Gaumen wiederum ist der 95er der ‚Außenseiter’ mit sehr ausgeprägten, verkohlten Noten; der 94er gefällt mir hier am besten.
Review by Domi Mal
The nose is full of alcohol, cask and spicy notes - of course, there's plenty of ester too! It seems to be a real board. Personally, I'm not entirely convinced by the taste, the alcohol is not convincingly integrated, the wood influence is quite dominant and other nuances are unfortunately neglected. Complaints at a high level, of course! Nevertheless, a good drop!
Review by Rene Pfeiffer
Day 19, 4th Advent, RumX Advent calendar: Without even tasting it, I thought that this would definitely be the 3rd from the Appleton Hearts Collection. Nevertheless, tasted blind: much fresher and fruitier than the expected nose from the 1994 or 1995, with a pineapple note. Then the vegetal and herbal notes return. Similar on the palate. The finish is quite bitter and a little salty, olive-like. Overall a good, complex rum. But I found 1994 and 1995 better. Many thanks for the opportunity to try the Hearts Collection.
Review by Thunderbird
Ein sehr fruchtiger Rum an der Nase, bevor er am Gaumen seine würzige Seite präsentiert, später gesellt sich wieder verhalten etwas Frucht dazu! Der Abgang ist holzig und fruchtig!
Review by Sebastian Kornett
Schöner Jamaika. Tolle Nase. Leicht dreckige Note. Aber nicht für diesen Preis. Gibt erschwinglichere, die genauso gut schmecken. Erinnert mich an einen Monymusk EMB von habitation Velier.
Review by w00tAN
Direct comparison 94, 95 and 99: Nice and fruity on the nose, light ester aroma. Light vanilla, pineapple? On the palate, then powerfully spicy, less woody than the 94 with great notes of dark chocolate Finish slightly spicy ginger? Beautifully long with very well integrated alcohol; nice piece!
Review by Djehey
I really like Appleton hearts. This 1999 is no exception. On the nose, I detect a certain freshness that I'd say is rather floral. On the palate, I find a nice, well-marked custard. Not so much spicy as ginger.
Review by Jarek
Ich mag die ganze Hearts Reihe von Appleton. Die Nase ist unglaublich! Intensiv und lecker. Am Gaumen viel Holz, Kräuter, Gewürze und auch Rauch. Alkohol perfekt eingebunden. Mal schauen wie er sich gegen die älteren Brüder 1994 und 1993 schlägt. Nachtrag Franconian Rum Tasting Gang & Jakob, 2023-07-27 Teil 1: Diesmal alle Appleton Hearts am Start (1984, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002 und 2003). Für mich bleibt der 1994er immer noch der Beste der Reihe, dicht gefolgt vom 1993 und 1998. Überraschend lecker war auch der 2002. An der Nase spielt der 1984 ganz vorne mit, fällt aber am Gaumen wegen des zu starken Holzeinflusses ab.
Review by Maxence
Another tasting of a Heart Collection bottle. Pretty much close to the other releases. The nose is slightly dryer and the alcohol bites a bit more compared to its siblings. The palate is much more balanced though. Overall, a very good rum !
Review by Nils123
Sehr lecker und ausgewogen. Wasser macht ihn in der Nase noch etwas kräuteriger in der Nase und schokoladiger aber auch bitterer im Geschmack. Jedenfalls finde ich, dass es eine sehr gute Abfüllung ist.
Review by Mopar Rules
Appleton evening sponsored by FTG. Like the 1994 smooth, balanced and subtle. Caramel, decent influence of the cask, a bit dried fruits, herbs. I like it a bit more than the 1994, do I?
Review by Schnubbii
Nice balance of fruity and resinous. I find it very successful. The finish could be a little longer, but I still find it very tasty.
Review by Gil Firth
Great bottling. Reminds me a bit of guyana style but with dor fruits and esters. All this pack is a buy. בקבוק מצויין. אסכם בזה שלמרות שהוא הצעיר בחבורה. אם כי לא בצורה משמעותית כלל. זה רום מעולה. כהה. פאנקי. פירותי. עם עור וליקריש. מאוד אינטנסיבי. אהבתי. אבל ה94 הוא הטוב מכולם.
Review by Filip Šikula
Nejmladší kousek z dnešní srdcové čtyřky. A světě div se, ona je velmi zajímavá. Krásný ovocný nos s ananasem a banánem. V chuti překvapivě méně dřevé což dává rumy jiný charakter než těm ďrevitým. A závěr je ohromující.
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
A bit more sweet than 1995 which I also tasted tonight, but still on the herbal and even salty side. Some interesting orange notes. Mineral and smoky finish.
Review by Lolo8531
Au nez ce 99 parait beaucoup plus jeune mais n’en perd pas moins de son caractère, on retrouve le cocktail fruits exotiques, ester qui fait la typicité de tout bon jamaïquain, le nez reste gourmand avec moins de gras que ses prédécesseurs le 95 et 94 mais fait ressortir un très agréable beurre caramélisé, il me fait penser à un délicieux Fidji BDF de 2001. En bouche, l’alcool reste bien intégré on retrouve le boisé et la rondeur du nez sur le palais, épices et gourmandises se mêlent subtilement et créent un bel équilibre. La longueur en bouche reste moyenne et épicée.
Review by alex
Superbe 🤩 Riche, élégant , complexe.. belle longueur, je me régale. C’est le premier de la série que je goûte donc pas de comparaison possible pour l’instant. Mais c’est magnifique en bouche. (Un peu timide au nez ) J’adore 😍
Review by John Coffey
Plus herbacée que les deux autres.. Plus de longueur.. Un bel équilibre entre le bois les fruits à coque et les fruits.. Alcool un peu trop présent
Review by Morgan Garet
Belle gourmandise au nez avec le caramel, le chocolat au lait et le zeste d'orange. On sent bien le fût et le cirage qui viennent donner du corps à ce très joli nez. La bouche est également très agréable sur les mêmes notes + le piment et les 63 volts qui viennent pepser le tout. Finale longue sur les agrumes Le meilleur embouteillage des 3 à mon goût.
Review by Solidfunk
Caramel, ripe banana and sour plum on the nose. Some oak, tangerine. I get a little ginger as well. Pours orange amber. Mouth really explodes in flavour. Some sturpy caramel, banana pudding and sharp oak. A little lemon. Some bitter oak in the finish with tangy fruit. Oak sticks with you for a minute though. Pepper in the finish. My first from Hearts series and nice. Sample thanks to bottle split from xamsx.
Review by Philip M. 🇧🇪
1994 > 1995 > 1999
Review by Alexander Rasch
Für mich der Rum mit der meisten Würze, Süße, mehr dunklen Noten und Kräuter Anteilen. Auch spannend und schön Komplex aber im Abgang deutlich weniger warm und trocken. Da fehlt dann was. Fällt gegenüber den anderen beiden schon etwas ab.
Review by Anonymous
Attaque puissante, sauvage, sur l’olive, l’ananas, le gingembre, pour s’assagir ensuite et apporter la finesse orange chocolatée d’un bon Appleton. Longueur en boucle exceptionnelle, un vrai coup de cœur !
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Expert reviews
6 critics scored it, averaging 8.2/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum..
Expert review by Barrel Aged Thoughts
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Expert review by Rum nagykövet
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Expert review by Le Blog À Roger
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Expert review by Who Rhum The World
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Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Read full review →They don't produce a rum like Hampden for example. No that Hampden don't produce great rum - far from it. This is a lovely rum. It's typical in some ways of Appleton Estate's older vintages but at the same time with it being a single marque it has little nuances...
Expert review by Tasting Bro's
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Expert review by The Rum Champion
Wow. Very pleasantly surprised by this rum. That said, I can’t imagine spending $300+ for this bottle but happy I was able to taste it. Tasting notes: orange marmalade, vanilla, allspice, clove, coconut, banana
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 125 € – 276 €
from 32 sales, latest 09/2026
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 266 €
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 - 1999
A Pot Still Rum from Jamaica, bottled by Velier, at 63%.
Community purchases
215 bottles logged by 164 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
8% opened, 8 emptied and repurchased.
What does Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 1999 cost?
Community paid 185–332 €.
Current best price: 297.68 € – 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.
215 purchased · 126 tasted · 49 wishlist · as of
Read on in the RumX Guide
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