Appleton Estate 21 Year Limited Edition

Nose- nose has a pungent yeastiness about it. No doubt from the higher esther's that Jamaican rum is known for. There is initially that stewed fruit aroma, a good bit of smokiness, and then something wonderfully floral. Reminds me of spring time flowers. Hibiscus maybe? Palate- thinner than what I was expecting. I love the chewy richness of the Appleton 15 Black River Casks, but this does not seem as rich. It is perhaps a bit more lively, layered, and more exploratory. Not to say that this is bad, it was just unexpected, as I had pegged this bottle to be more of Appleton 15 punched up a notch. Brown sugar, caramel, and rich vanilla bean give way to some nice coffee notes on the palate. I also get 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 sip. There is tremendous taste quality inside this bottle. Finish- finish is long and oaky. It borders on being a bit too tannic and dry. Reminds me more of older bourbon/whiskey than it does of rum. Where older rum usually has a musty, funkiness to it, this is not barrel funky, but rather a bit woody. I would have liked some more of those sugars like molasses, and brown sugar than wood at the end. Not a total let down, 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 accolade that might come its way. 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 yr 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 15yr 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 yr version.

Enjoying a dram from a bottle I purchased in Jamaica circa 1996. It was just over half full when I poured this taste into the glencairn. Yes, you might say I have nursed this bottle. The pour is a polished walnut in color. The nose is maple syrup, vanilla, a bit of molasses, dark cacao. A swirl shows thick sheeting and slow heavy tears. The complexity of this rum is breathtaking. It is sweet and syrupy and approachable and delicious. There are notes of English butter toffee, maple syrup, figs, barrel wood, and vanilla. It's simply lovely. This is a perfect dram. I have no idea what a 21-year-old Appleton Estate tastes like circa 2020, but this one from the past is utterly spectacular. I am going to have to buy a new bottle to prepare myself for the inevitable day when this bottle will give up its final drop. I can only hope the new product is as good. I can't imagine how it would be better.

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 palette, 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 different flavor profile than I am used to for a rum, instead is what i can only classify as a classic deconstructed apple pie. First impressions is a sweet notes of sauteed in butter apples at the point where they begin to brown on the edges and still have that fragrant apple taste. The med point is a bit of a surprise expecting a more alcoholic bite but no it smoothes right out into the spice part of the apple pie analogy. With clover, cinnamon, allspice, and the surprising caraway seed as the undertone flavor of it all. A very dinamic rum and definitely worth a dram pour.

The sweet, caramelized sugar easily comes to nose in the glass, but it is backed by a large amount of oak wood. The first taste is reminiscent of the 12 year version of this rum, but the oak starts pounding away quite quickly on the way down. One might think spice is coming up to the finish, but a little extra time has you realizing that this is simply the very heavy oak flavor that's taking you over. Honestly, if you didn't tell me this was rum, I would be very confused and asking you what kind of bourbon you served me.

Mahogany color. The nose feels rich and viscous, with notes of butterscotch, fried plantains, allspice, lemon zest, chocolate covered orange peel and vanilla bean. The mouthfeel is warm and velvety. The palate is a continuation of the nose, with more butterscotch, chocolate covered orange peel, and allspice, along with burnt sugar, hazelnuts and oak tannins on the back end. The finish is fairly short and initially dominated by the burnt sugar and tannic oak, then transitioning to orange zest and ripe bananas.