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Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002
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Made for people who want a Jamaican with real oak and dried-fruit depth but not a funk bomb. This 20-year Appleton from Velier is the fruitiest of the Hearts run: cherry, dried apricot, orange peel, warm roasted oak and vanilla, with only light esters. Several tasters call it rounder and more accessible than its siblings; a few find it too woody and bitter neat.
The community says- Fruitiest Hearts vintage
- Well-integrated 63%
- Keep in mind: Woody, bitter finish
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Auction results: 99–225 € (67 sales in 24 months, incl. buyer's premium, latest 09/2026). How the range is built ›
The look inside the bottle
How does Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002 taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
Fruity, oaky Jamaican with light funk Loved for its fruit-forward, roasted-oak profile and well-integrated 63%. The catch: it's less complex than other Hearts vintages, and some find it too woody, bitter or thin on the finish.
Aroma profileJamaica fans who want fruit and oak over heavy funk
People chasing high-ester funk or a smooth, low-ABV sipper
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neatCocktails & mixing
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
65 of 152 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
Buying advice
Is it right for you?
Yes, if you're after bold, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.
Similar in style and available now.
Woodier
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 20038.7/10 (193)217.14 €
72 rated both: 49 scored it higher, 16 scored Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002 higher, 7 gave both the same score.Rated better
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 19938.8/10 (132)302.00 €
89 rated both: 65 scored it higher, 19 scored Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002 higher, 5 gave both the same score.Similar rating, cheaper
Hampden Great House (Distillery Edition 2021)8.6/10 (319)131.29 €
More intense
Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 19958.6/10 (151)336.32 €
What does the community say?
152 community reviews
Rating scale & review checks
On RumX, 7 means “Good” and 8 means “Very good”.
See the full rating guideHow ratings are made and how we check them ›The website shows a selection of written reviews. The distribution also includes ratings without text. All published reviews are available in the RumX app.
50 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 152 ratings, including those without text.
Review by Oliver
Most helpful positive review
On the nose a great combination of fruits (cherry, apples, mango), citrus and sweet notes (caramel, vanilla). Quite dry on the palate with red fruits (cherries again) and spicy wood notes. Little esters, but a pronounced spiciness and creaminess. Great Jamaican rum with little funk but power.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Most helpful mixed review
Is similar to the 2003 already just not my profile. Way too much wood, hardly any fruit, a bit spicy and earthy, a lot of tannins and also the alcohol could be integrated a bit better. Has for me no nice drinking flow. Unfortunately not my case.
Review by Jakob
Round profile with sweet notes of vanilla sugar and caramel on the one hand and a fresh potpourri of tropical-citrus fruits as well as red berries, mango and apples on the other. The cask also makes its presence felt with mild woody aromas on the nose and a subtle bitterness on the palate. The Hearts with the most present fruity note. Very nice.
Review by Dr.Django
Two Appleton in a glass today: Rum Shark: The nose is alcoholically sharp and unpleasantly pungent. It continues in the same way on the palate. Unfortunately far too alcoholic. Some fruit and floral notes. Not even that good. Hearts 2002: This is a completely different caliber. Chocolaty, woody and garnished with dark fruits. Great rum that has become even better in the bottle.
Review by SaibotZtar
Exciting... you can clearly see the somewhat younger age.... not quite so round less barrel influence ... Floral notes, somehow solvent and glue. Somewhat bitter and rough, at least pure. I will test it in May Tai.
Review by Basti
Appleton Hearts Crosstasting with the vintages 2002, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999 (RX15475, RX15474, TBD) 2002: Fruity and spicy with a hint of menthol. Lots of wood and spices on the palate, slightly astringent and bitter, very subtle fruity notes. 1993: Significantly more intense with more spices and more from the cask, plus dirty notes that remind me of TDL or Chairmans. Extremely dry and bitter on the palate with a good barrel impact, slightly charred. I miss something fruity here. The finish is very long! 1994: Similar to 1993, but more fruit and a clear minty note. Clear parallels on the palate too, but not quite as bitter and dirty and fruit notes are still discreetly present. 1999: Lots of wood and spices, with dried fruit and tropical fruit in the background. Fruits in the background. Lots of spices and wood on the palate, but hardly any fruit notes, but no charred/bitter notes either. 1995: Again, dirty aromas with tar, leather and varnish. Similar to 1993/1994, the woody, bitter aromas also dominate the palate here. For me: 1994 ->8.8 2002 + 1999 ->8.7 1993 + 1995 ->8.6
Review by zabo
Edit: It would be a dream to be able to try the whole Appleton Hearts range. My conclusion would be that this is a really high-quality range. All in all, they are all great bottlings. I personally find it difficult to choose a true winner here. Only the 84 falls a little short. Both it and the 02 can't quite keep up, although that's complaining at a high level. However, if I had to choose one, it would probably be the 03 because it was the first one I tasted from the series. Yes, what can you say for 125€ at LMDW - a nobrainer! A super grenade for the price. A comparison with the other Hearts is still pending, but for the time being a more than good 8. I unknowingly gave it more than an hour in a jar with a lid. Just super tasty how it developed.
Review by cigares
Rum Friendly Club Advent Calendar, day 20. A nose of esters and tropical fruit with varnish, young wood and a slightly unpleasant acetone edge. The palate is soft on entry, then the fruit and ester aromas gain strength, supported by the wood. The wood becomes bitter on the finish. The finish is rather long and surprisingly fruity at the very end. A very fine rum!
Review by Leo Krüper
Warm vanilla wood nose. Some spice and bitterness on the palate, but still within limits. Full pot still power, minimal mint at the back. The alcohol could be a touch better integrated. Unfortunately quite expensive, but a good rum.
Review by DomM
Nice combination of dark notes, spices and a yellow fruit basket. A little rough on the edges.
Review by Gunnar Böhme "Bauerngaumen" 🤓
Oops, somehow I thought this was my first Appleton, but it's already the fourth! It's funny that rum from this distillery always seems new to me, I felt the same way when I tasted RX11399. I probably didn't really notice Appleton before, but that has now changed with this specific 2002 vintage. This rum is simply a jewel, it tastes incredibly smooth and round and like Caribbean sunshine and even better than the already very good 2003 (RX11399) - this will be my new vacation rum!
Review by Giorgio Garotti
Of all the Appleton velier releases this one for me is the least convincing!The nose is intriguing while when you taste it it all fades a little too soon!It leaves you with lots of citrus, some spice and a fair amount of cask influence!A few notes of caramel, roasted pineapple and red fruits remain only on the side and a greater presence of them would have helped!Overall a good rum with a few flaws!
Review by Mirko Frosini 🇮🇪
I would have expected much more from both the name and the retail price. So much alcohol that it makes everything elusive. Still a good rum, but personally I would never spend 300 euros on it, maybe barely 60 euros. Let me say that the world of rums, but not only, often presents rums with excessive costs but poor quality. Just look at Samaroli or Velier who now too frequently, exploiting their name, offer bottles for sale at prices at least double their real value. As is often the case, where business is successful, prices go up relegating certain tastings to a small group of people. This creates an inflation that could in the future put a strain on the rum world and close its doors to the masses who will look elsewhere.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
#4024 This one has a bit more power in the profile and I can actually get the coffee on the nose. Again nice and fruity with nice roasted wood and some added caramel and spices. This one also draws really nice curtains in the glass and the empty glass has a nice caramel touch. Price to quality is pretty OK though these releases are getting hyped and picked up by people to be auctioned off.
Review by Aussierumfan
Not a bad rum by any means but doesn't stand out massively to me. Quite a nice nose, on the palate it is quite powerful and maybe even slightly rough? I'm getting lots of fruits, some caramel, vanilla and maybe coffee? A shortish finish. I am getting a bit of barrel influence as well. A good rum to try!
Review by mto75
Today the 1993 in direct comparison with the 2002. This Hearts-typical note, which somehow smells like polish or floor polish, I have with both in the nose, with the 02er a bit more pronounced. The 93 goes a bit more in the direction of freshness, herbs and tobacco, the 02 more in the direction of orange liqueur marzipan cake and brioche. On the palate, both with dried fruit, the longer aging is clearly evident in the 93, expressed in a slight (but not unpleasant) bitterness, tannins and black tea. The 02 has even more sweetness and goes more in the direction of allspice and latte. Both again top notch bottlings, but the 93 is already a bit more complex.
Review by LukaŽiga
8,8:On the nose, tons of fruits like mango, bitter orange, dried apricots, cherries, apple and unripe banana, camphor, toasted/roasted wood with caramel, coffee, chocolate, pastry, biscuits, bump into our nosetrils, very tempting. On aeration, medicinal, chemical notes arise, like rubber, plastic, various aspects of wood with nuts, vanilla, baking spices, milk chocolate and fruits like lemon peel, as the molasses is flowery. 8,8:On the palate, the attack is tasty, buttery, creamy and round with roasted oak notes, caramelized, pastry, later cream toffee, spicy with vanilla and allspice, fruity with pineapple, banana, mango, citrus fruits like bitter orange, cherries, the apples are baked, camphor is flowing underneath, also some rubber. 8,7:The finish is rather long, dry&tannic, as roasted oak with mocha, caramelized nuts, sone caramel, spicy, pairs grassy, earthy molasses with root and various tropical, citrus and dried fruits. Edit:20.6.26
Review by Joachim Guger
Appleton Hearts 2003 - 2002 - 1993Nose: All three very, very similar. Same marque? Banana bread, dried apples, licorice, caramel, fine spice, glue and glue. Powerful and warm. Compared to the 2003, the 2002 is a bit drier, dustier, a bit more licorice and less fruit . The 1993 is a bit woodier and more complex. All three great.Mouth: 2003 and 2002 again very similar. The 2002 a bit woodier and spicier. The 1993 then again...maybe a touch too much.Conclusion: all three shine with a nice flavor profile. All three highest craftsmanship in terms of quality, integration of alcohol and wood maturity. The latter also applies to the 1993, 29 years of tropical storage and - matter of taste - just fine. Which one do I like best? Difficult decision, probably the 2002.what I miss? The variety. How many Marques can Appleton offer? Is that all after 7 bottlings?now another Muckerl has flown in and committed suicide....
Review by Johannes
Slightly fruity notes paired with caramel, marzipan and barrel influence. I like very much!
Review by Jussi Piirainen
First dram from my 10cl minibottle. On the nose: Bourbon cask influence is clearly present. Vanilla forward, woody notes, roasted and dried fruits. Hints of menthol notes here and there. Taste: Vanilla and caramel forward. Woody notes. Roasted. Dried fruit notes and citrus notes. Little bit of peppery notes and spices in the end. Good level intensity and integration of alcohol. Finish: Woody, light caramel and roasted notes at first. Then you little bit of earthy notes and light menthol notes in the end. Very pleasant rum especially those who like rums with clear bourbon barrel influence in them. I bought this at auction purely based on RumX reviews and i got it at good price so, thanks for the reviews guys
Review by Piotr Ignasiak
Round and elegant on the nose, cherry, vanilla, unripe banana and apple on nose and palate. Very nice to sip. Thanks Tobias for opportunity to try. Edit from today. Quite enjoyable on the nose, on palate it's a bit too medicinal for me. However adding a couple of drops of water helped me to balance it, bringing out some sweetness and mint.
Review by Michael Schillheim
Definitely weaker in direct comparison with the 93 and 98. Mango, lemon peel, lots of wood and an alcoholic to chemical note on the nose, which I find a little disturbing. The palate is predominantly woody, mango, peppery and bitter. Bitter also introduces the medium to long finish.
Review by Mirco
A lot of wood / bitter and for me little fruit. Am somewhat disappointed. Alcohol could be better integrated.
Review by Steffmaus🇩🇰
Tried at my favorite cocktail-bar in Copenhagen. The nose is very orange-like and it gets better after a few minutes in the glass. Complex taste from the first sip, and I'm getting notes of molasses, ripe fruits, oak and some fusel oil.
Review by Nivius
Wow, the congeners hit hard. My first good Appleton and honestly I didn't expect to like this stuff so much - at the price of 120 an absolute bargain... for the 400 money demanded on the German market... well... I find that exaggerated, but it has Luca Gargano's name on it.... Nose: You can tell there's something at play here that you wouldn't directly describe as fruit acid esters, but it leaves a much heavier taste on the tongue - the other congeners and a slight glycerin note and almost something Clarendon-like. On the palate it continues - fully loaded with aromas of wood, cigar, glycerin, fudge/caramel, vanilla baking aroma, mango and apple - and it reminds me a bit of a less fruity representative of the EMB Clarendons. For me a clear surprise that I would never have bought at the price asked here. Also works excellently in Mai Tai and Daiquiri - no need for Wray and Nephew 17 anymore 😇😋 The 63% are also damn well integrated.
Review by Serge
In my opinion, very successful. Wonderfully fruity nose with caramel, some wood, (light) coffee and also very light menthol. Palate also very tasty. The RRP is still okay.
Review by Eric Frechin
I ended the tasting of about ten samples with this one. It found its place well. I found it a bit dark, a very well integrated alcohol giving it a controlled power. It's a Jamaican oriented towards roundness and rather indulgent. Far from the funky Jamaican rums. What pleasantly surprised me is the touch of freshness in the middle and end of the palate.
Review by Marcel.
Beautifull rum, very sophisticated and balanced. Ian a sucker for these low ester Jamaicans. Some cherry, menthol caramel, dried mango, very floral. The finish is medium long and falls of a bit at the end. The alcohol is nicely integrated, but I would like a little more mouthfeel or oiliness. At msrp it’s certainly overpriced though.
Review by ilRummista
Great product. One of the best of the Hearts series collection from the over-the-top palates of Joy Spence (Appleton) and Luca Gargano (Velier) . A rounded rum but at the same time full of character and notes that make it unique.
Review by Timo Groeger
Unfortunately also not my favorite rum right now. Very fruity on the nose, especially dried fruits here. On the palate, in my opinion, many fermented (tropical) fruits, especially bitter orange.
Review by Andi
Dry, lots of wood, some fruit and decent punch.
Review by Gyuli
Nose: Similar to Appleton 21, but with stronger esters, raisins. Drier and a bit lighter than 21. Flavor: Tastes different from Appleton 21. Seaweed with salt water, tannins (almost powdery) that I've noticed in Mauritius rums. Quite a bit of oak spice and bitter esters, which fills the mouth as the glass is emptied. Finish: Not much different from the notes at swirling, with a bit of squid fishiness and tannins. There are also light, dry leather notes.
Review by Jarek
Franconian Rum Tasting Gang & Jakob, 2023-07-27 Part 1: This time all Appleton Hearts at the start (1984, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2002 and 2003). For me, the 1994 is still the best of the bunch, closely followed by the 1993 and 1998. The 2002 was also surprisingly tasty. The 1984 is right up there on the nose, but falls short on the palate due to the excessive wood influence.
Review by Tim
Compared to the 1993, this Appleton is a different kind of rum. Very smooth and pleasant, somewhat "simpler" if you will. Naturally fruity, but also caramel and a good dose of roasted notes. Less to no vegetal taste on the palate, but again a lot of wood and cardboard. Overall, the complexity is lost, but it still leaves a very good rum. Finish woody and earthy, the barrel overwhelms the mouthfeel here, while the nose is really solid.
Review by Fuwi
A little rougher than the 2002, not as pleasing but still a very good Jamaican! Doesn't come across as an ester bomb that necessarily brings a lot of funk into the glass, but still has a lot of oomph and complex aromas with dry fruits, dark influences of vanilla and roasted barrel parts. Really good fun!
Review by Mentalo
Appleton Hearts Collection 2002. This bottling isn't the most complex in the Hearts series, but it has the best fruit notes. Clearly fewer wood notes, but still enough. Plus spices and a bit of mint. The alcohol is nicely integrated.
Review by V. Chbrd
Citrus fruits, spices, resin and peat create a powerful, complex cocktail on the nose and palate. A gourmet rum, however, smoothed by a long, pastry-like finish in a blend of almonds, yeast and honey.
Review by Martin Spooner
Unobtrusive light nose. Relatively roasted with vanilla. The taste has something sweet for me. More pleasant than the 18 year old and also tastes better to me. However, the younger one has a much longer finish. Corrected slightly downwards in the post-tasting.
Review by Gasparini Andrea
Good but nothing special, not very complex
Review by Skyfly
Jamaica without Hampden Tasting: very complex and pleasant bottling. Besides tropical fruits also dried fruits. Nose a bit better than palate. Also lots of spices, wood, vanilla and roasted aromas. Alcohol very well integrated.
Review by Djehey
Hmmm... I don't know exactly what, but these Appleton hearts have something I really like... It's very intense, we're in Jamaica but actually not really, the sun-ripened fruits blend with the woods in a marmalade that spins my senses. A real pleasure.
Review by Filip Šikula
RFC Golden Advent Calendar 2024. My beloved Hearts series from Appleton, where all the pieces so far are big hitters. The 2002 edition is unsurprisingly no exception. A woody nose and a mouthful of fruit. Wonderful!
Review by kondgab
Vanilla, caramel and fruits. Oak and coffee
Review by Henry Davies
A rum that is super easy to drink. Started well and enjoyed a lot. Single marque pot still Jamaican but overall a lot more tamed than most of its Jamaican brothers. The nose is sweet and balanced with vanilla, orange peel and nuts. Really exceptional first sip, a strong orange blossom hit, then hints of molasses, warm oak, and vanilla. Really enjoyable and powerful rum. The finish let’s it down slightly as the flavours thin over time but overall I enjoyed it a lot. One to be shared and drink with friends with this level of approachability.
Review by Gregor
Nose blood orange, wood, plum, alcohol is present Palate: Plum, berries, blood orange, vanilla and some wood on the finish, alcohol better integrated than in the nose but somewhat metallic and slightly sharp. The longer in the glass the better (> 1.5h)
Review by martin slezák
Color amber to mahogany Nose wood, spices, menthol, sweetness, intense fruit, hint of technical notes Taste technical notes, menthol, fruit, coffee, chocolate, creaminess, wood, spices Finish long fruit, coffee, chocolate, wood
Review by Giuseppe Ambrosio
In the glass it has a nice color and is quite viscous. On the nose it is not too aggressive and you can smell floral or similar notes and woody notes with toastiness. On the palate the alcohol is noticeable and the floral notes come back more than other aromas. Medium finish, frankly I expected something more especially with the quite old aging. P.S.: purely personal opinion.
Review by Madi Dromamad
The nose is very fruity (walnut, apple, pineapple), esters are present but overall discreet for a Jamaican of this age. On the palate, it's a big surprise. Very dry and not very "funky." After the surprise, the whole is well balanced and makes you want to come back. The finish is very interesting, rather on bitter notes (tobacco, leather). Another tasting in a different context will be needed.
Review by Pavel Ungr, RumRock
Vintage 2002. With 8.4 out of 10, it's a very good bottle, although not the top of my ranking.
Review by paulgi86
This is Appleton Estate rum for “grown ups” sounds an unusual way to word this but it’s more sophisticated, more flavourful and more complex rum compared to the standard 21YO Nose - another consistent nose! It’s roasted and toasted everything with this one! Coffee, espresso, mocha, cocoa, dark chocolate, toasted oak with the slightest whiff of caramel and bitter fruits like bitter orange. If you’ve ever had San Pellegrino Chino, there’s a similar bitter citrus note! Palate - everything largely transfers over to the palate. The roasted coffee notes were really apparent - wished I put this in a cappuccino cup instead! There was also additional notes of dried fruits, prunes, black pepper, allspice and some sweet almost burnt sugar. I found drinking it neat it went a bit hot in the mouth however adding 3-4 drops (nothing more than that) really helped stabilize the spirit on the palate allowing you to experience all the nuances it wants to show you Overall an exceptional and very enjoyable rum that’s been properly presented.
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
Expert reviews
Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by Rum nagykövet
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Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002 at live auctions
A bid is not a final price: the house sets the buyer's premium, shipping and any customs duty.
All live auctions ›Community shelf
176 bottles logged by 124 collectors.
A collector's bottle.
14% opened, 12 emptied.
What does Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002 cost?
Community paid 27–278 €.
Current best price: 185.33 € – within the typical community range.
Purchase prices reported by members, not a shop price. Avg. 170 €. Price history with 67 auction results in RX+ ›
+5 additions in the last 3 months.
Additions per month over the last 12 months; dark bars: the last 3.
176 purchased · 156 tasted · 50 wishlist · as of
Details about Velier Appleton Hearts Collection - 2002
A Pot Still Rum from Jamaica, bottled by Velier, at 63%.
Read on in the RumX Guide
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