When I first started drinking rum many moons ago, Appleton Estate was one of the first recommended to me, and first I really enjoyed. Like, really took the time to enjoy, not just mix with coke and slam it down cause I was 22 and that’s what you do with booze when you’re 22. This was my first forray into appreciating my beverage, and while it never became a regular, it has long been a favourite to revisit every so often.
WHAT IS THE RUM
Appleton Estate Signature Blend is an 80 proof gold Jamaican rum.
HOW DOES IT TASTE
Appleton Estate has one of the most distinct tastes I’ve encountered with rum. It goes in strong and smokey, with a nice crisp and sweet after taste. Over ice, that sweetness comes to the forefront. That nice bold almost caramel taste makes for a nice smooth sip. This translates to a great stand-alone drink that doesn’t need the trappings of a cocktail to make it shine. It’s a rum that enhances the cocktail, not the other way around.
BEST WAY TO DRINK IT
Drinking it neat makes for a fine sipping rum on the brisk fall evenings. I had one sitting on my back patio with the firepit going and it made for a lovely evening. Over ice makes for a nice chilled beverage if it’s warmer out. It’s not bad in a Dark & Stormy, but where this one shines are some of the classic cocktails, the old fashioned, the Manhatta, but featuring rum. That’s where Appleton really pops as a rum. Get some of those citrus notes in there for a fun bold drink. I saw a recipe for an apple cider mojito. I haven’t tried it yet because we JUST hit apple cider season and I haven’t had a chance to make them yet, but this would be the perfect rum for that.
DO I RECOMMEND
Yes. To put it very shortly. This is a longtime favourite of mine and it has stood the test of time, nearly 15 years on. Did I stray from it when I needed cheaper options? Yes. Do I still come back to it on the regular? Still yes. I’ve used this in cocktails, I’ve had it on its own. I will always come back to this rum.
Around the Determann's Firepit 