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Appleton Legend 2005
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Not your usual Appleton. Where the core range leans oaky and orange-peel polite, this one throws out esters, glue, tropical fruit and Jamaican funk — people who tasted it blind often didn't recognize the brand. Expect ripe mango, banana, guava, spice and a medicinal edge. It was built to echo the old Wray & Nephew 17, and many drinkers reach for it specifically for a Mai Tai.
The community says- Tropical fruit-forward
- Real Jamaican funk
- But: Thin mid-palate
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The look inside the bottle
How does Appleton Legend 2005 taste?
Summarized by AI from community reviews.
Funky, fruity Appleton unlike the rest Loved for its unusually funky, ester-driven, fruit-forward take on Appleton. The common gripe: reduced to 49% it turns a touch thin, with a shorter finish than the big nose promises.
Aroma profileFans of high-ester Jamaican funk and old-school Mai Tais
Those wanting a rich, oaky classic Appleton
Style & occasion: Tropical & funkySipping neatCocktails & mixing
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
22 of 51 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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Community voices
What does the community say?
51 community reviews
23 selected write-ups on this page, all of them in the RumX app
Top 25% at Appleton Estate
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Ranges include their upper bound: “7–8” means above 7 up to and including 8. See the full rating guide
Positive from 8.0 · Mixed 6.0–7.9 · Critical below 6.0
Review by SaibotZtar
Most helpful positive review
It is already a polarizing rum. Personally, I like it very much because it is simply quite different from all other Appleton's. Lots of fruit, esters, honey but very little wood. A few bitter notes. Pure is good to drink even if not overdimensionally complex but just different. In the Mai Tai he delivers a good final product if he is also here (maybe it's because of the expectations or also because you already had incredibly good stuff in the MT) not really the bringer. The price I leave out (that would correct the rating strongly down) because I want to evaluate the pleasure not the price!!!
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Most helpful mixed review
Incredibly beautiful nose of rum pot with tropical fruits and whole cinnamon sticks, slightly acidic and woody. Aromatic then surprisingly woody, tannic, slight acidity from the barrel and unfortunately also very slight plastic associations... Also somewhat bitter, medicinal and fresh, herbal, bitter and almondy. Unfortunately, on its own it doesn't get me as excited as I had hoped... Definitely more aromatic power than some other Appleton and also more esters, but not an aromatic wonder like the Appleton Joy, for example! Certainly this rum makes a very good Mai tai, but does it have to be for ~700€ a bottle or can't other rums be used just as well or even better? Mai tai test outstanding (if I get affordable samples again)😃...
Review by DomM
The nose is surprisingly different from what I expected from an Appleton trying to recreate the legendary W&N. This has quite some esters on the nose, yet rather different from other Jamaican funky rums. Reminds me slightly of Long Pond but even more of DDLs recently released High Ester / LBI blend. Fruity and very lively dispite this 17y in the cask. On the palate again more funk then expected. Tropical fruits, wood and some medicinal notes. While I didn’t have a JW&N 17y at hand, I was able to taste this alongside a JW&N 20y. For me both share the same characteristics, while the Legend bottling is clearly more ester heavy and more powerful with this higher ABV. The vintage bottling tastes much more mature (adding dried fruits, chocolate and more oakey notes) but also thinner. While the comparison is somewhat lackluster, it’s quite interesting to see that the Legend bottling is much closer to the old stuff compared to the Appleton Hearts bottlings.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#4145 This little sample arrived straight from the US this morning and a friend brought it to the door 😊 He just wanted to get a bottle before most and had to lay down close to 800 USD to get a bottle. I'm certain this will turn into a collectors item and many not being opened and used as intended by their master blender Joy. This rum is more Jamaican than the regular Appleton releases for sipping. More funk and a bit more esters and on top of that a lot of fruit. Draws beautiful curtains in the glass and the empty glass has some caramel and dried fruit. Heavily overpriced but who cares if you're a collector 😊
Review by Thunderbird
This is a very unusual Appleton... not particularly outstanding, but still very pleasant to drink. I still like the nose best...esters, fruit, vegetal and pastry...you keep discovering new nuances... On the palate, the reduction is clearly noticeable and it loses something...I would have liked more complexity here. It's a kind of fruit/vegetable mixture The finish is almost similar with a tendency towards more plantiness
Review by Steffmaus🇩🇰
Tasted this one in "Tiki Week" at my favorite cocktail-bar in the city centre. Had a talk with the manager and ambassadors from Appleton Estate. Amazing nose of ripe fruits and caramel, and an explosion of taste! I got notes of fruits, funk and some citrus. Updated with location
Review by Adrian Wahl
Really exciting Appleton. A profile that you really don't know. I'm extremely excited to see what he brings in May Tai.
Review by Tom Buteneers
For me it’s possibly the best Appleton rum I’ve ever had without the hearts collection (different category of rums). The mai tai with it was PERFECT, like 13/10 only for enjoying it together with Dr. Joy Spence (at the Estate, after a masterclass and having sampled it with her, I mean COME ON 🤯). Straight it’s balanced and complex with wood and fruit. The fruity side from the older esters I like in particular. The rum on its own is like 9.2 for me. Having the relaxed time for it today and feel the flavors lingering together with memories I’ll cherish for the rest of my life… As a rum moment in my journey, I can only score it 10.
Review by Joachim Guger
Very oily! Extremely complex nose. Ester, dried fruit, after longer breathing gasoline or workshop. Each time smelling in and a new image emerges. Rancid sweat.😅 Very complex, alcohol top integrated, good drinking strength. Then a bit thin in the mouth. Plastic and medicine. Herbs!!! The finish could be a little longer. An Appleton off the beaten path, there one has clearly helped oneself to New Yarmouth stocks. Certainly not an uninteresting product, which then in rudiments reminds of old Jamaicans (1941, 1945). By Limitation and the story told in addition, this becomes a collector's item.
Review by zabo
After having actually had all the Appletons from the Hearts series in the glass, this one is not really comparable. Not to mention the price. The 17 years don't really make it woody. Nice to have tried, but a bit too thin at the end for the price asked.
Review by Emiliano Distillatomico
For one of the #rumroom🇮🇹🥃 I decided to share an Appleton different from the usual ones...! Higher esters, higher alcohol content and longer fermentations...!!A rum that I really enjoyed, with ripe fruit, spices and a roastiness that I didn't mind at all! Good complexity and a medium-long finish close a really satisfying drink!!! Cheers...!
Review by Johannes
I honestly did not expect much, but I like it surprisingly well! For an Appleton a lot of esters, little wood, some marzipan, yellow fruits, very ring and balanced. Probably too round for a Mai Tai....
Review by Tschusikowsky
This rum hits you with awesome tropical vibes. Right from the first sniff, a thick tropical fruit compote blasts at you – intense and syrupy, almost liqueur-like. Notes of vanilla, mango, and red fruits mix in and create a rich, sweet-fruity impression. Unexpected notes appear on the palate too – mushrooms, umami, a hint of lacquer and spicy accents like pepper. Somehow it also reminds me of fruit gum. The finish is unfortunately a bit disappointing – less lingers than you'd hope after the start. Still: very cool overall – a great rum with character. Price-wise though... meh.
Review by mto75
On the nose dried fruit, polish, fermented fruit and a little menthol and iodine. Very spicy on the palate, allspice, nutmeg, espresso. Really exciting part, but probably even more exciting for the Mai Tai faction, who do not want to put 50k on the table for the Wray & Nephew 17 😅
Review by Henry Davies
Wow. What a nose, and not what I was expecting, much more by the way of esters and tropical fruit than the standard Appleton releases and even the Hearts collaboration. Nose brings cinnamon and nutmeg, with some glue like esters and tropical fruit. The mouth compliments with pear and banana, some nutty oak and herbal notes. Complex and incredibly inviting on the mouth. A really impressive rum, the finish is smooth and fades into one of the most tropical fruit finishes I have tried in a while, all banana, guava, and mango but keeps you interested for a long time after tasting. The ABV at 49% just works and let’s you explore the flavours. Overall a top notch rum, not sure it is worth the price tag but hype notwithstanding it is an impressive Appleton!
Review by Filip Šikula
It's something that just surprises. Let's put aside price/performance. It's different from other Appletons. It's funky ester, almost no wood, neither in the nose nor later in the taste. Esters in the nose are complemented by polish and fruit. The taste is very gentle, could handle a higher ABV. The finish is medium and very nice. It's very pleasant, but unlike the Hearts series, it doesn't justify its price.
Review by Mentalo
Very fruity, ester, very pleasant wood note, spices, a bit of honey, a bit bitter, a bit medicinal. It could have a bit more depth, but that's probably due to reduction to 49%. Especially noticeable on the finish. Still very harmonious and round. I liked it, even if the price really hurts.
Review by Pandemonia
Well. An experience for me. On the nose it really is a complex cacophony of smells; lots of tropical fruits, pineapple and banana for sure but also dried dates and apricot as well as raisins. Overshadowing it all are clear chemical, but also almost metallic notes of nail polish, solvents, and especially something akin to petrol. Dark chocolate for sure, and even a bit of cherry. On the palate however, it loses quite alot and becomes less complex while still being far from simple. Its taste has mellowed out from the aroma, and become less unique than the nose. While retaining the banana and dried fruits/dates, it ventures more into tastes of (burnt) nuts, anise, wood of some kind, nougat and mild, earthy mustiness. The finish is long, warm, pleasant, woody and leathery. Now what anyone wants this for is in a Mai Tai, and there it is fantastic! That's where it _really_ shines! It brings just the right amount of mild funk, accentuates the lime with perfectly sour, slightly bitter and broader fruity notes to the Mai Tai and somehow amps up the nuttiness in it. All this while bringing something of its own, and I would say it's a unique, singular Mai Tai. Can I be trusted to be objective on this? No, I am not a professional reviewer and the sunk cost fallacy looms large here, this being by far the most expensive rum I own. Is it the best Mai Tai I've ever had? Probably not, but it's certainly up there, among the very best. Is it worth the price? That's subjective, but for me- no. It is far too expensive. In fact, the price is ridiculous. Do I regret buying it? Also no. As a Mai Tai fan I had to try this and I'm relieved I got my hands on a bottle and glad I got to experience this! TL;DR: Sipping: incredible nose, good-ish palate - but a superbly fantastic Mai Tai! Note: I rate this rum including how it tastes in a Mai Tai, which gives it quite a boost for me. In a parallel universe where there is no Mai Tai, I would rate this AROUND about an 8 for purely sipping.
Review by Olimpia1936
A spectacular blend from Joy Spence...top!
Review by Pavel Ungr, RumRock
Vintage 2005. I rate it 8.9 out of 10, excellent rum, which ranks high even among my more than 1,300 ratings.
Review by Filip Lojín
I didn't recognize Appleton in the blind, something else entirely. Beautiful rum, but shorter finish
Review by rgrgr
Made to recreate Trader Vic's original Mai Tai. Characteristic sipper
Review by Rex Stone
Best as a Mai Tai
No reviews match this filter.
Expert reviews
2 critics scored it, averaging 8.8/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by Zucker und Zeste
Read full review →The 17 years in the barrels have given the rum nice oak notes, which provide a roasted, nutty undertone and pronounced vanilla aromas on the palate. Nothing here is over-woody, and the alcohol (bottled at 49% ABV) is fantastically integrated. The rum is complex without being tiring. You can really sniff and taste it for a long time with pleasure.
Expert review by The Dunder Hut
How do you want to rate it. Unfortunately, I really liked it better on its own than in May Tai. Lost style meets it. But in the mai tai unfortunately no more than a reminder of days gone by.
Community shelf
62 bottles logged by 36 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
8% opened, 1 emptied.
What does Appleton Legend 2005 cost?
Community paid 416–773 €.
Current best price: 629.00 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 691 €. Full price & collection history in RX+ →
+5 purchases in the last 3 months.
Added to collections, last 12 months — dark bars are the last 3.
62 purchased · 52 tasted · 34 wishlist · as of
Details about Appleton Legend 2005
A rum from Jamaica, distilled by Appleton Estate, at 49%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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