Aroma visualization from community tastings
Appleton Estate Rum Guide & Tasting
Taste
Vanilla, Caramel, Woody
Most mentioned across 84 tasting notes
- Perfect for
- drinkers wanting a smooth, elegant aged rum to sip
- Less suitable for
- funk chasers wanting loud, punchy Jamaican rum — this one stays gentle
Appleton 21 Years
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"Jamaica in the bottle" is how one happy owner puts it, though the funk here is whisper-quiet. Twenty-one years of oak give you vanilla, caramel, burnt sugar and orange peel, with cocoa and nuts on a dry, balanced finish. Smooth and elegant rather than loud. The recurring gripe: at 43% the palate thins out and never quite matches the lovely nose.
The community says- Elegant and smooth
- Long oak finish
- Less suitable for: funk chasers wanting loud, punchy Jamaican rum — this one stays gentle
Offers & prices
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What does Appleton 21 Years cost?
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Offers & prices
No shop currently delivers to Germany.
Auction results: 77–234 € (26 sales in 24 months, incl. buyer's premium, latest 11/2026). How the range is built ›
The look inside the bottle
How does Appleton 21 Years taste?
From community reviews · summarized with AI
Smooth, elegant aged Jamaican, light on funk Most drinkers call it refined and easy-sipping, a gentle aged Jamaican — though many wish it carried a few more percent, since the palate trails the promise of the nose.
Aroma profileIs it right for you?
Yes, if you're after characterful, mature, oaky rums for sipping neat.
drinkers wanting a smooth, elegant aged rum to sip
funk chasers wanting loud, punchy Jamaican rum — this one stays gentle
Style & occasion: Mature & oakySipping neat
Full aroma profile Aroma families · nose & palate · top aromas
Relative to this rum's strongest aroma family
Share of the 84 detailed tastings that name the aroma
84 of 243 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
Which glass for which rum? The community guide ›
What does the community say?
243 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.
45 selected written reviews
The distribution above includes all 243 ratings, including those without text.
Review by Stefan Persson
Most helpful positive review
As a summary it’s complex with a deep taste and a fantastic balance between sweetness and dryness. The nose is a little of everything, but mostly strong aromas of fruits. At the palate all the flavors comes to you together with a certain sweetness and roundness.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
Most helpful mixed review
This is a super good rum for the price. A little bit of Jamaica funk all the way and a real joy. You can taste the complexity of the 21 years of maturing.
Review by Jack M
Lovely sipper. Very smooth and easily approachable. Some subtly fruit flavours - orange and coconut, dark chocolate and a certain sweetness. Oak and spice notes come through, particularly in the finish.
Review by Galli33
I found it at a bar on my holiday in bibione! Great to start a holiday 😅… So it’s a very fruity interesting solid lovely rum. I can suggest to everyone, who will end a hard working day with an fruity rum to relax! try it you won't regret it. Cheers *Update: Still one of my favorite rums 🥃
Review by Oliver
A very good introduction to the world of unsweetened rums. Round and harmonious without the typical Jamaica ester funk.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
if Jamaica should be easy sipping then it would be this one. Definitely one of the better old Jamaicans with a nice honey banana note! could only have a few more %😅 but for a really nice harmony of wood, sweetness, fruitiness and light ester notes.
Review by cigares
A rum I expected too much of? A blend of vanilla and tropical fruit with a lingering impression of caramel. On the palate, a diluted side first, then spices, caramel again and tropical fruit and prune. The finish is rather short. There's still some spice, wood and tobacco. I find it good but a little disappointing.
Review by DomM
I honestly think this is outstanding quality. Only downside is the low ABV. Nevertheless the rum does not fail to deliver an intense profile. Highly recommended if excessive ABV is not (yet) your cup of tea.
Review by LukaŽiga
8:On the nose, what's immediately striking is its balance. The woodiness is toasted, the alcohol present but well blended and no single aroma takes precedence over the others. Vanilla, floral notes, almond, caramel, woodiness and orange form a winning team with all tropical fruits and funkiness and roasted aromas that emerge on airing. 8,5:On the palate, the attack is both lively and greedy, sweetness is pleasant . The batch is more present here than on the nose(long ageing), but blends very well with the molasses and brings us nutty notes, spices, caramel sweetness and overpowers that famous Jamaican funkiness with grassy and ripe tropical fruits notes. Walnut returns at the end and is a leading note through the palate. 8:The finish is relatively dry, yet long. A mixture of brown sugar and toasted woodiness accompany us for quite a while. Well rounded and smooth, yet lack of that strong omnipresent Jamaican funkiness that we find in Appleton 12 rare casks. Edit:25.4.26
Review by Joachim Guger
Tasted at Dino’s Aphotecary Bar on 16.12.2025. It smells very good, solvents, varnish, burnt sugar, dried fruits, a hint of coconut, vanilla, spices. Balanced, warm, dry, not very complex. On the palate then spicy and a bit sharp. Boring finish. Overall a good, dry sipper, but nothing more. The recommendation clearly goes to the 12-year-old, which is cheaper, better and more exciting.
Review by Timo Groeger
Strong part, you notice the 21 years almost immediately. Great nose which is rather sweetish, vanilla, caramel and burnt sugar. The palate also has a subtle sweetness, dark chocolate, vanilla and caramel. The wood only becomes noticeable in the finish.
Review by Tim
Tastes much better to me now than when I first tasted it, probably because I now also noticed a toasty chocolate note alongside all the fruit and caramel/honey.
Review by Johannes
Very good Jamaica profile. Very good rum for Jamaica beginners with hints of esters.
Review by Leo Krüper
Very nice Appleton, which unfortunately lacks 10-15% power. Do not understand why this release runs so under the radar.
Review by Godspeed
It is very good but it does not excel beyond its price point. Better integration of alcohol than its younger counterparts. One of those “you get exactly the level you paid for” kind of rums.
Review by Pavel Spacek
Nice drinking rum of my style - sweet taste, caramel, nuts
Review by Chrischi78
Beautifully complex Jamaican rum, beautifully balanced. Beautiful ester notes and the smell of vanilla and banana on the nose. This continues on the palate. Overall a rum with a lot of body and depth.
Review by Gyuli
Scent: It has an oaky base with a winey, cognacy aroma. However, if you rub a drop in your palm, you can taste brown sugar or honey. There is a light savory flavor of almond and cacao. After swirling the glass and aging, the alcohol is cool and subtle, which, combined with the fruity flavors, reminds me of a cool concentrated pear juice. Taste: Moderately sweet, not too much sugar for a moderately chewy texture. After some oak and light tannins, brown sugar and nuts dominate. There is also a hint of leather. A green grape flavor similar to cognac also comes to mind, but more honeyed. Finish: Smooth, but with a spicy finish that lingers for a few seconds afterward. The finish is medium-long with dark, bittersweet flavors like dark chocolate, caramel, and some roasted coffee.
Review by Jussi Piirainen
Another find from my samplebottle "vault". On the nose: mixture of woody notes, vanilla notes and caramel notes dominate the nose. Solvents inbthe back. Little bit of orange peel notes. Its pretty good palate for a 43 % abv rum Taste: Woody barrel notes with spices like vanilla dominate the profile. You also get some cinnamon and little bit of nutmeg in the end. Little bit of caramel/burnt sugar notes that bring sweetness. Little bit of orange peel notes here and there. Semi dry mouthfeel. I think its pretty nicely round and balanced. Finish:Woody and caramel notes at first. Then you get roasted coffee, cacao and chocolate notes. Pretty good finish. Good introduction to overall aged rums for a someone who is new to rum and due to its low abv, a good starter rum for rumtastings. Missing alot those aged Jamaican rum notes, so there are better aged Jamaican rums that showcase the aged jamaican rums better.
Review by Roman Lelek
I tasted AE21 for the first time and I wouldn't classify it as Jamaican at all. Sweet vanilla in the aroma, taste reminiscent of solera, relatively short body, not much finish either...the rum is very smooth and rounded, no wildness.
Review by TheFrenchRefill
It spent 21 years in casks, giving it a deep copper color! A very elegant rum!
Review by Christoph
The nose promises more than he can. Loses power in the mouth so that mainly mild cocoa remains. Relatively dry, a touch of leather, nutmeg. Tropical fruits remain undefined in the background compared to the nose. What bothers most is the watery consistency.
Review by Business Liner Ralf
Very round and pleasing rum. Price-performance ratio is not quite met. Many nuances of flavor. A must for any collection. Excellent to get to know rum. 😃😎 Cheers
Review by Pascal Elkuch
Fine on the nose, in the mouth it is ok but not what it first promises. There are definitely better for the price.
Review by w00tAN
Very round complex and beautiful rum without the typical dominant ester notes. Long finish with a nice reverberation. Very tasty!
Review by Henry Davies
It’s the best Appleton I have tried but not quite a wow rum. The 43% abv let’s it down a bit - would love to try at cask strength - as seems a bit light in the finish. Nose is excellent with well integrated sweet and complex wood, body a bit more one dimensional and spicer than the nose would suggest. Medium length finish which is pleasant just not quite moorish. Interested to try the Velier Hearts Collection and compare
Review by Christian Rudt
For me, this rum is simply solid, very very round and balanced in taste but it just lacks strength in flavor. More Appleton Hearts please 😁
Review by Rum Runner Labs - Will
Honey and orange notes really stick out; very gentle and subtle. Solid oak and vanilla elements with a light but moderate finish.
Review by Richard Krupa
Quiet and fragrant, top 3
Review by paulgi86
First time trying an aged Appleton Estate and it’s actually not bad at all - could it be better? I think so! Nose - almost simple at the start but the longer it’s left in the glass, it does gradually give you more and more…. Opens up with classic bourbon cask rum - vanilla, caramel and toasted oak then it’s followed by soft/mild spices that don’t assault the nose…. Followed again by light notes of coconut and chocolate Palate - very nice and agreeable but definitely the words smooth, mild and pleasant appear again (three word review eh?). Predominantly what you get on the nose carries over to the palate, which is to say it’s consistent and reassuring. Yet again all varieties of sugar (burnt, caramelized, brown, demerera etc) alongside some gentle orange peel or zest and the smallest hint of sweet tobacco in there It’s rather enjoyable and what I’d expect from an aged rum - although the three words you could apply to this are: - Safe Soft Mild Everything does work but there doesn’t seem to be an elaborate complexity - it is there but it’s spoken in whispers almost and you really need to be paying attention to notice them! I do reckon this is probably down to the ABV - if it were 46% or higher I reckon the flavour delivery would be better, more pronounced and possibly the complexity might’ve been able to sing rather than hum
Review by Michal Šmíd
Pecka, the taste of plum appears on the third sip and stays.
Review by Hans-Peter Jank
Jamaica in the bottle I am loving it
Review by TheTobias
This Appleton 21-years (Nassau Valley Casks) is complex with the casks being well integrated. Some sharp sour notes in combination with a fruity sweetness makes it easy to drink but not boring. I still prefer the 12-year old over this one but I like this 21-year old better then the 15-year old Appleton.
Review by Filip Heimerle
Very very gentle
Review by Cino
Jamaican rum not too pushy, a little more alcohol and a few more foreign countries would not have hurt. Balanced palate with fruity, spicy and woody notes.
Review by Alexander Rasch
My RumRatings review from 5 years ago: The Appleton has a great nose. Despite the dilution, the rum is intense and balanced. Floral notes blend with wood, light ester, baked fruit, and also a nutty aroma. Earthy and heavy, the rum is a lot of fun here. On the palate, the rum has an exciting flavor profile. A caramel-fruity sweetness combines with lots of wood, fruit, a slightly bitter cocoa note, and some pepper. The finish is medium-length with lots of bitterness, dark chocolate, and wood. The Appleton Estate 21 is a great rum that, at 43%, brings an excellent body and intense aromas. Only the relatively short time the aromas stay in the mouth is a bit of a shame. Tasting the rum at cask strength would be insane. The price is totally okay for the age despite the drinking strength, and the rum is worth it. Delicious.
Review by DruNierer
Finish goes on forever, I prefer over ice. Very smooth, not sure I would compare to Bourbon even though it’s been in oak for 21 years, well rounded on the nose and palate. Nice lingering flavor on the palate
Review by Madame 888
Complex, little fruit and little sweetness, orange note, some vanilla, slight pepper note at the end and very long finish.
Review by rum_sk
Atypical for appleton, lot of cocoa, dark chocolate, cream, vanilla, raisins, oak and cinnamon, very flavorful. Heavy. Great rum. It does not remind me of Jamaican rum though, only on the 👃. If I would not see it being poured from AE 21 I would guess it is panama, dominican, peruvian rum. But little bit different, specofic. It is great.
Review by David Sharman
Tasted side by side with the Appleton 12 and Appleton Hearts 2003. The 21 was certainly very pleasant. Woody but balanced, reminds me a bit of an aged cognac on the nose. The orange note that I particularly enjoy on the palette of the 12 is dialed down after the additional years of maturation. I'm actually glad I prefer the cheaper 12.
Review by Benoit Bail
A very good tasting rum. Very indulgent.
Review by Sylvain44
Balanced Jamaican, not very 'funky', the overripe fruits are tame here
Review by Pierre Albert
Nice fatness in the glass
Review by Filip Kalinovský
A decent rum, but disappointing for me, it would have benefited from a higher percentage. Mild sweetness, tropical fruits, caramel, coconut, mild strength, spices. The finish is quite short, wood, orris, spices in the mouth at the end.
Review by Brebur
A very nice rum to sip
This selection contains no written reviews in this rating range.
Expert reviews
5 critics scored it, averaging 8.1/10. Reviews from RumX's blog partners, independent experts who have tasted, evaluated, and described this rum.
Expert review by The Fat Rum Pirate
Read full review ›If you are an enthusiast of Appleton Estate's rums then trying the 21 will be a must. Its not hugely better than the 12, it is similar just slightly sweeter and with a little bit more going on. You could pay £100-140 for a rum half as good as this!
Expert review by Zucker und Zeste
Noble and elegant. A Jamaican that is not demanding and yet presents typical flavors. Ideal for the ambitious beginner.
Expert review by The Rum Champion
Found this bottle collecting dust in Northern California. Was very excited to grab it. Unfortunately, when I went to take the cork off it basically disintegrated. This is a pleasant enough rum. That said, by no means is this worth $130. There are far better rums at way lower price point. Tasting notes: brown sugar, black tea, tobacco, raw almonds, citrus zest, allspice
Expert review by Single Cask Rum
Read full review ›
Expert review by Rhummer
Read full review ›
Tasting videos · 1
Appleton 21 Years 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
- 497 bottles on the shelf, owned by 445 members
- 262 tastings
- 339 wishlists
Opened or kept?
345 of 497 bottles are still sealed.
- 345 sealed
- 96 open
- 56 emptied
What did the community pay for Appleton 21 Years?
98 € median purchase price
The middle 80% of purchase prices were between 70 and 130 €.
Price history with 26 auction results in RX+ ›Reported by RumX members from their collections · as of · How these numbers are made ›
Details about Appleton 21 Years
A Pot & Column Still Rum from Jamaica, distilled by Appleton Estate, at 43%.
Origin
In the bottle
Read on in the RumX Guide
Buying advice
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