Tiki Tasting: Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum

One of our favorite rums in our bar is Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum. It’s not the most expensive rum – in fact, it is very reasonably priced and quite widely available in our area – and that is one of the things that we like about it, because it means that we can use it in a variety of ways without having to feel like we’re compromising our recipes! Appleton Estate V/X Jamaica Rum is made with a blend of rums that are at least five years old, aged in oak.

The rum smells like maple and vanilla, with a strong undercurrent of bananas, spice and other tropical fruits. The banana and brown sugar sweetness comes through even more when you taste it, along with a touch of oak and peppery spice. It has a buttery mouthfeel to it, which lets those flavors linger in your mouth for a pleasant finish. It’s a very well balanced rum, one that you could drink on its own over ice or use in cocktails. We really like it as a mixing rum to bring some of those sweet Jamaican notes to our drinks without breaking the bank, and it will always be a staple in our bar.

Rum Rating: 4/5

Rum Rating Scale:
0/5 – Is this even rum?
1/5 – Bad. Not worth buying and not worth drinking
2/5 – Not very good, but could be covered up with mixers.
3/5 – Good, versatile rum.
4/5 – Great rum, with complex flavors that is outstanding on its own or in cocktails.
5/5 – Amazing rum. Don’t even think about covering it up with mixers.