Appleton V/X Dark Rum Review

Appleton V/X is a Jamaican copper pot still rum and it is a blend of rums aged between 5 and 10 years.

When used with a mixer, this colourful and fragrant rum is a delight. A very flavoursome drink which is enhanced by the lime, ice & coke. A favourite for those long summer evenings sat outside with friends.

I wish I could say the same about it when drinking it neat. It bears a very similar taste to whiskey, with none of the sweetness I would expect from a dark rum. Far too harsh on the throat and leaves the palate too dry for this particular drinker.

It will always be welcome in my home, although only as a rum to be mixed rather than enjoyed as is.

English Harbour 5 Year Old Dark Rum Review

Produced and bottled in Antigua, English Harbour 5yr old is a multi-award winning rum. It is distilled in copper stills and aged in small oak casks. It has a rich, dark amber colour that reminds me of making toffee as a child with my mother.

As a newly converted rum drinker I was unsure where to start. My local specialist had a number of different rums for sale, but this one stood out for some reason. Perhaps it’s because the packaging looks like something a pirate would drink! For preference I drink this with ice, lime and diet-coke in a tall glass and I find it to be a full-bodied and flavoursome drink. Subtle yet pungent with a sweet taste, somewhere between caramel and cinder toffee, which is complimented by the mixer. I have tried a number of dark rums since, but I consistently return to this brand.

Although it is not the most subtle of flavours, it is certainly the brand I would use to introduce someone to the joy that is dark rum.