Appleton Estate Extra is the “Ultra Premium rum in the Appleton Estate family and it is touted as unsurpassed masterpiece of oak ageing”. Now I’m not one for re-producing a companies marketing material but I will make an exception in this instance.

The marketing material continues “As a Minimum Age rum Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year Old has been aged for a MINIMUM of 12 years in select American Oak Barrels”.

Now most companies that use the term “Ultra Premium” have some kind of fairly tale or historical figure as part of the sales talk. Often this is backed up with a vague age statement or perhaps some complex solero ageing system or maybe some kind of sugar cane honey or unique underwater storage methods. Very few companies can make statement such as “minimum of 12 years” and be taken seriously. I can only think of El Dorado and Foursquare that makes such claims.

Appleton Estate Extra retails in the UK at around the £35 mark, which is in keeping with the price of other similarly aged rums from the likes of the afformentioned El Dorado and Foursquare. It really is sad that so many rum drinkers are taken in by the marketing stories and will pay way in excess of £35 for much younger and in many cases inferior rums. Still that is why the companies pay for the marketing!

For your money you get the signature Appleton Estate stubby curvy bottle and a very handsome and sturdy card sleeve with a metal like lid and a well done plastic label covering the whole box. The presentation is very good. The only strange thing I found is that the top is a metal screw top not a cork. Still I quibble as the screw top isn’t cheap and nasty. It’s well threaded and seals tightly.

J Wray and Nephew/Campari have recently announced that the whole Appleton Estate range is to be revamped. A press release has been issued and here is a link to that. Personally I don’t really see the point but hey I’m not in charge of J Wray and Nephew/Campari.

Appleton Estate Extra is bottled at 43% ABV in a 70cl bottle. The first thing you notice about the Extra is the mahogany colour of the rum. The Appleton Special and V/X are a orange/brown and the Reserve is a gold colour. The Extra is much darker than all three.

I’ve hesitated in reviewing the Appleton Estate Extra. This is because I found it to be very different from the younger Jamaican rums. With only a few distilleries on the island of Jamaica, I wanted to try some other Jamaican rum before diving into a review. There were facets of the Extra which I was unsure about and wanted to try some other aged Jamaican rum to ensure my comments have been made from an educated viewpoint. I will explain more as I take you through my experience with the Extra.

First up, when poured in the glass the rum keeps its dark rich coppery/red hue its very nice and does suggest the minimum 12 years ageing. Like most producers I’m sure a little colouring is added for consistency but the rum does look very inviting.

The nose also draws you in. Unlike many Jamaican rums it is not at all pungent. The Jamaican funk of lesser aged rums such as their White Overproof or the V/X is not present. It is a million miles away from the ester heavy Smith & Cross, Hampden or a Monymusk offering. It is a very nice nose. It remind me of Bajan rums and also St Vincent’s Captain Bligh XO. It has that extra little spicy nose. The nose is all rich brown sugar/molasses, dry oak tones and mix of citrus and cinnamon and ginger notes. It’s as good a nose as I have noted especially from a Jamaican rum – thus far.

I’m not sure many unfamiliar with the Extra would ever guess it was a Jamaican Rum. Having tried a few Hampden and Monymusk offerings along with blends such as Myers’s and Smith & Cross I have come to realise that by Jamaican standards the Appleton Reserve rums are quite refined and less rough and ready. Possibly slightly less in your face and a little more complex overall. Especially the Reserve and the Extra.

I found the Reserve to be quite an enjoyable little sipper and very easy drinking. The Extra offers an extra layer of complexity in its delivery. When sipped the rum offers a lot of smoky spiced oak flavour. It also has a nice note of cocoa and a little hint of vanilla on the exit. The rum is smooth yet spicy offering a nice kick. The finish is long and complex leaving a lot of flavour behind to savour. It is quite a dry rum and I find myself reminded of Mount Gay XO, it is not quite as dry as RL Seale’s 10.

As you can tell from the rums I have compared it to, this is a very good, beautifully balanced and rewarding sipping rum. Mixing isn’t really an option as the Reserve is available for £10 less and is well suited to that as is the V/X (which is even cheaper).

I’m sure anyone who spends time with this rum will appreciate the skilful blending and will also uncover notes which my review has missed. It really is a great rum to re-visit from time to time. It never fails to impress.

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