Appleton Special Jamaican Rum

Appleton Special is a blend of full-flavored traditional pot still rums and lighter character modern column still rums. Aged separately in oak barrels and afterwards hand-blended to produce a fine, medium-bodied golden rum. Appleton produce rums with a very distinctive taste which is hard to miss – gentle undertones of fruit and caramel with a soft after-taste. Where I can drink the standard Appleton straight or with ice, unfortunately Special is a little too harsh for my tastes. There is a strong edge to it which is reminicent of sour mash bourbons, but this is to be expected for a low-end bottle.

This weekend I was in the mood for an evening of rum & coke, and as a generic mixer, this delivers the Appleton brand taste at a low price. It’s perfect for party mixers and cocktails, or for those nice evenings at home where you just want to enjoy a simple rum.