Appleton Estate Reserve is the eight year old rum in Appleton Estate’s core lineup. Coming out of Appleton’s distillery in Kingston, Jamaica, and bottled at 43% ABV (a proof that always seems to say “we know what you want, we’re just not going to give it to you”), Reserve has the distinction of somewhat famously being preferred by many to the iconic 12 year old Appleton Rare Casks bottling for having a bit more fruit and funk to it. This comparison always struck me as a bit odd, as if you’re looking for strong fruit and funk from Jamaica, many other distilleries that seem more interested in servicing that profile. While it may not be the best archetype of Jamaican rum, its a pretty good archetype of Appleton Estate: a molasses based pot-column blend aged for eight years, that seems more invested in nuance than boldness.

We measured a density of 0.944g/cc, not suggestive of any added sugar. Interestingly the back of the bottle says “Our rums, aged in the tropical climate of Jamaica, are crafted with Jamaican limestone-filtered water, with no added flavors.” but doesn’t make an explicit claim of “no additives”.

On the nose you first get hit with toasted sugar, followed by oak, hints of vanilla and coconut, and depending on the day a bit of melted crayon. While not the most unique nose, all its components are incredibly pleasant. The palate is equally palatable: brown sugar, wood, perhaps a little of the dried orange touted on the bottle (”our signature orange peel note”) and something a little botanical. After a few sips some spiciness sets in; the usual suspects: ginger cinnamon, the subtlest touch of anise. The finish is, all things considered, pretty mild and terse. Cinnamon dominates, and brown sugar and orange blossom are along for the ride.

In our blind taste test it performed pretty well neat (7.3/10), but great as a mixer (8.4/10). In drinks in played well, and brought a good deal of complexity. It seems like Appleton’s prices are rising every other day, and Reserve sits at an awkward place in the lineup (we paid $42.49 for our bottle, and picked up the 12 year for only a few dollars more), but there’s something about this rum that makes it seem hard to go wrong with: it’s nice enough to sip neat, yet not so expensive you couldn’t mix with it; it’s interesting enough to satisfy many rum nerds, but approachable enough as to not scare off anyone; it’s technically Jamaican and could fulfill the role in the cocktail, but it’s straightforward enough it could pretend to be most things in a cocktail.