Appleton Estate 21 Year Limited Edition

The aroma has a strong yeastiness. Undoubtedly from the higher esters Jamaican rum is known for. Initially, there is a stewed fruit scent, a good amount of smokiness, and then something wonderfully floral. It brings to mind spring flowers. Hibiscus, perhaps? Palate- It's thinner than I had anticipated. I enjoy the rich, chewy texture of the Appleton 15 Black River Casks, but this doesn't seem as rich. It is perhaps more lively, layered, and exploratory. Not to say this is bad, it was just unexpected, as I had pegged this bottle to be like Appleton 15 intensified. Brown sugar, caramel, and rich vanilla bean give way to some nice coffee notes on the palate. I also detect some of those hibiscus flavors along with green banana and some ripe pineapple. This is a wonderful sipping rum that I grow more fond of with every taste. There is tremendous flavor quality inside this bottle. Finish- The finish is long and oaky. It borders on being a bit too tannic and dry. It reminds me more of older bourbon/whiskey than it does of rum. Where older rum usually has a musty, funky character, this is not barrel funky, but rather a bit woody. I would have preferred more of those sugars like molasses, and brown sugar than wood at the end. It's not a total disappointment, but perhaps where I find my biggest flaw with it. Overall- Appleton 21 Nassau Casks Limited is of course a delicious rum. It is a quality bottle worthy of any praise it might receive. It is not what one might expect from a 21-year-old rum (yeasty, funky, fruity, rich, sugary). Instead, it is more what one might expect from a 21-year-old whiskey – oaky, a bit tannic, but without richness. I like the bottle and hope as I explore it I find more to it as it opens. Comparatively though, I think the 15-year Black River Casks hit more of what I was looking for. I was hoping this to be like Appleton Joy (perhaps one of the best spirits I have ever had the pleasure to sample). It was not that. Considering the price tag, for now I will go with the 15-year version.

Sipping a measure from a bottle acquired in Jamaica around 1996. It was just over half full when I poured this sample into the glencairn. Indeed, one could say I have savored this bottle. The liquid is the color of polished walnut. The aroma is of maple syrup, vanilla, a touch of molasses, and dark cacao. A swirl reveals thick streaks and slow, heavy legs. The complexity of this rum is astonishing. It is sweet, syrupy, accessible, and delightful. Flavors of English butter toffee, maple syrup, figs, barrel wood, and vanilla are present. It is simply wonderful. This is an ideal measure. I have no concept of what a 21-year-old Appleton Estate tastes like around 2020, but this one from the past is absolutely exceptional. I will need to purchase a new bottle to brace myself for the inevitable moment when this bottle yields its final drop. I can only hope the current product is as good. I cannot imagine it being superior.

I purchased this at the Appleton Estate after a tour. I did not try this until I returned home to Ohio. The bottle was opened in the perfect summertime weather of roughly 80°. Since I am writing this review from memory I maybe off in some places. The nose of this Rum had a strong molasses flavor buried in oak, with a light caramel scent. Once on the palate, a stronger caramel and almond flavor revealed themselves. This is what makes this rum great, the 21 years of age allows the ethanol to stage the flavor and bond with acids to create great flavor esters. The finish is mild and easy to drink. We tried it with a dash of lime, which brought out the underlying citrus flavors.

A flavor profile unlike what I typically expect from a rum; it's what I can only describe as a classic deconstructed apple pie. Initially, there are sweet notes of apples sautéed in butter, just as they start to caramelize at the edges and retain their fragrant apple taste. The middle is somewhat surprising; I expected a stronger alcoholic bite, but it mellows smoothly into the spice of the apple pie analogy. With clover, cinnamon, allspice, and the unexpected caraway seed as the underlying flavor. A very dynamic rum and certainly worth a taste.

The sweet, caramelized sugar readily greets the nose in the glass, but it's accompanied by a significant amount of oak wood. The initial taste is similar to the 12-year version of this rum, but the oak becomes quite prominent as it goes down. One might think spice is emerging towards the finish, but a bit more time reveals it's simply the very strong oak flavor dominating. Frankly, if you didn't inform me this was rum, I would be quite perplexed and inquire about the type of bourbon you served me.

Mahogany hue. The nose seems rich and dense, with hints of butterscotch, fried plantains, allspice, lemon zest, chocolate-covered orange peel, and vanilla bean. The texture is warm and velvety. The palate echoes the nose, featuring more butterscotch, chocolate-covered orange peel, and allspice, complemented by burnt sugar, hazelnuts, and oak tannins on the finish. The finish is rather short, initially dominated by burnt sugar and tannic oak, then shifting to orange zest and ripe bananas.