Aroma visualization from community tastings
J. Wray & Nephew LTD. Appleton Reserve Rare Old Jamaican Rum (Ceramic)
Sip this old ceramic-decanter Appleton neat and slowly — it's a piece of Jamaican history in the glass. The nose is the star: dried figs, furniture polish, tobacco, caramel and old-wardrobe wood, far richer than today's 12. The palate follows with tropical fruit, oak and spice, but at 43% it thins out and the finish fades fast. Nothing showy, just genuinely tasty.
The community says- Intense fruity nose
- Dried fruit and tobacco
- But: Watery at 43%
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How does J. Wray & Nephew LTD. Appleton Reserve Rare Old Jamaican Rum (Ceramic) taste?
Aggregated from 29 community reviews.
Old-bottle Appleton, great nose, watery finish Loved as a nostalgic sipper with a gorgeous, intense nose that today's Appleton can't match. Most agree the low 43% leaves the palate a touch watery and short.
Collectors and Appleton fans curious how the old 12 tasted
People who want cask-strength punch and a long finish
How the community classifies this rum. Each category takes you to similar rums.
Which glass for which rum? The community guide →
19 of 29 left detailed tasting impressions · Click an aroma to explore similar rums
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How is J. Wray & Nephew LTD. Appleton Reserve Rare Old Jamaican Rum (Ceramic) rated?
RumX’s 0–10 scale is strict: 8.3 sits in the “Very good” band. 100% of tasters rate it Good or better; only 0% rate it below average. See the full rating guide →
Community voices
What does the community say?
86% rate it 8 or higher. 13 selected write-ups from 29 community ratings. You can view the complete list in our app.
Review by mto75
was very excited about the 12-year-old from the ceramic decanter! On the nose, there is a clear difference to the 'current' 12-year-old. The old one is much more intense, with dried fig, polish, old closet, tobacco, Werther's Echte Karamellbonbon and a slight freshness. It is more in the direction of the Hearts series. On the palate, the 'old' has a pleasant interplay of cask, spices and café au lait, and somehow it also has a pleasantly warm cognac note...thank you for the FT to Vienna!
Review by DomM
Nose is very intense given to low ABV. Quite intriguing with lots of fruits some spices and noticeable wood influence. This is much richer than contemporary bottlings. On the palate the dilution is ruining the experience somewhat, unfortunately. Yet, this is still very flavorful with wood and dried fruits and far superior to newer releases in the same weight class. This reminds me of the old El Dorado 25y blends with less sweetness but comparable intensity.
Review by Joachim Guger
A wonderfully deep red gold. Hammer nose!!! Polish, dried fruit, tar and beef jerky. Very fine and complex. Reminiscent of a TECA and also has something of a Caroni. In the mouth then tropical fruits and now woody and spicy. Again very complex and fine. The 43% is quite OK, with a few % more it would be one of my absolute favorites. A really great rum and very different from today's Appletons.
Review by Pavel Spacek
Nice profile, but too watery
Review by Hans-Peter Jank
Ich liebe diesen 12 jahrigen Appleton. Wirklich angenehm zu trinken und ganz anders als Rare Blend und Rare Casks. Hier wurde bereits vorweggenommen, was später in der Hearts Serie seine Fortsetzung findet. Interessant wie sich der 12 jährige im Laufe der Zeit verändert hat. Ich werde in nächster Zeit alle verschiedenen 12 jahrigen Appleton Estate Rums verkosten und bewerten.
Review by Kevin Sorensen 🇩🇰
10.10.2020 Sample tasting at home. Notes Medium dark to dark in colour. Nose Workshop, wood, fruits, light citrus, faint chocolate, faint floral, raisin. Palate Oily, wood, light smoke, light earthy, citrus, chocolate, light caramel, raisin. Finish Short to medium, wood, raisin, light chocolate, faint caramel, faint smoke.
Review by Jarek
Tasted at the Village 2024 in Nuremberg. A very tasty, fruity and woody nose. The palate doesn't quite deliver what the nose promises, the 43% is also a little too low. If you ignore the fact that you have a piece of rum history in your glass, then it is only a good rum and not an outstanding one.
Review by crazyforgoodbooze
Richtig leckerer süffiger alter Appleton. Riesen Unterschied zu heute! Würde es den noch regulär zu kaufen geben, hätte ich den definitiv im Regal. Wirklich toller every day sipper und eine tolle Viskosität am Gaumen. Gefällt mir fast besser wie der 20er.
Review by Serge
Verkostet am Catawiki Stand auf der Village in Nürnberg. Super Nase, etwas dünn, aber lecker. Dennoch glaube ich dass er (auch auf Grund der Flasche) etwas überbewertet ist. Kann man aber wirklich ohne Vorbehalte trinken.
Review by F.L.O.
Tolle Fruchtbombe von Appleton bzw. Wray & Nephew. Zwar nur 43%, aber unglaublich geile Nase und leckerer Geschmack. Kein komplexer Nerd-Scheiss, aber trotzdem eine nette Erfahrung. Trotz niedrigem ABV zu empfehlen.
Review by Sebas143
Tasted at German Rum Festival Fantastic rum. Maybe some changes due to the time in the bottle? According to the information, the bottle is dated from the 1970s
Review by Basti
Messebewertung 13. GRF. Kein Vergleich zu den aktuelleren Appleton 12.
Review by Leo Krüper
Toller Sipper. Richtiger Appleton wie man ihn sich wünscht.
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Live auctions
Current bids for this rum at Europe's leading auction houses.
Market value
What this bottle last achieved at auction. A research indicator, not a forecast.
Auction results 276 € – 368 €
from 2 sales, latest 01/2025
Prices incl. buyer's premium — what a buyer pays, not what a sale nets you.
Avg. community purchase price 333 €
What members paid for this bottle, self-reported. Not a market value — the purchases are over three years old at the median and unverified.
Details about J. Wray & Nephew LTD. Appleton Reserve Rare Old Jamaican Rum (Ceramic)
A rum from Unknown, bottled by J. Wray & Nephew LTD., at 43%.
Community purchases
14 bottles logged by 9 collectors.
A drinker & collector.
21% opened, 3 emptied and repurchased.
What does J. Wray & Nephew LTD. Appleton Reserve Rare Old Jamaican Rum (Ceramic) cost?
Current best price: 565.00 €.
14 purchased · 28 tasted · 11 wishlist · as of
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