Whenever I’ve purchased Appleton Estate rums, I normally buy their 12 year olds. This was no where near as good a tipple, but bearing in mind that it was almost half the price of a 12 year old, I gave it a rating of 7. It’s drinkable on its own, but it’s perfect in cocktails.

8:On the nose, this rum reveals pleasant aromas of smoke, dried fruits, gourmet caramel and wood.On the next step, there is tobacco, bitter orange, sweet yellow fruits by bourbon ageing and some sweet spices.
Aeration brings out notes of nuts (hazelnut) and green pepper.
7,8:On the palate, the attack is supple and even slightly sweet. Caramel and sweet spices lead the way.
7,8:The finish again presents the caramel that has followed us throughout the tasting. The woodiness returns (and takes up more and more space after a few minutes, among other things in the form of tobacco). Nuts play a small role in the background.

The bite and burn are good for the ABV and not overpowering. While there's not much on the initial taste, it develops into a profile with woody notes and toasted brown sugar with some light hints of funkiness in the aftertaste.

My primary issue is that it isn't memorable enough for the price. You don't get enough of the funkiness, enough of the ABV, or enough of the woody complexion to justify the price. There's not much that elevates it over some of the cheaper AE bottles mixed with some overproof rum.

It’s too bad they can’t do more expressions like this. Initially it reminded me of Selección de Maestros, which was surprising. I eventually did a side by side and they were fairly similar in my opinion. The Maestros had more funky wood on the nose, where the Exquisito was more caramel, yet on the palate Maestros had more caramel and Exquisito had brown cigar and citrus. Both were accompanied by a balance of oak on the palate and a fairly subtle sweetness, with the Exquisito having a smoother finish(probably because Maestros is 45%). I have to admit I did not pay regular full price($150) for the bottle and got it on close out for ($80). I might have to go back for another bottle

Great taste yet younger diplomatico seem smoother on palate

Very nice rum with a little hint of fruits and grapes.

A little sweet at the beginig with dry aftertaste. Nice burn too.

Plantation did well with this clear rum. Not one to drink near or on the rocks but definitely one for any mixed drink. Smooth on the tongue with little burn on the finish. Overall, I’ll be more than happy to display this on my self and recommending to anyone that needs a good clear, mixing rum.

Not quite a 6, but still pretty good. The red wine barrel comes out just a bit. A little more aging to soften the burn would have raised the rating. Mixed wasn’t as good as straight. Appreciate the specific bottle information.

I was lucky to find a tiki bar in Chicago that still had a bottle with just enough left for me to have the last two drinks of it. It was blissful! I had already have a few cocktails prior, so my overall recollection of the flavors is a little muddy, I just remember it was better than the '07 and '09, utterly flavorful, nose was incredible and it left me with a very warm and happy feeling all night. It was THAT good! Hopefully, someday I can track another bottle of that down again. I NEED that in my home collection!

I did not have super high hopes for this one, but it surprised me.  A nice nose. And the flavor straight was sweet, with little afterburn.  Vanilla and some burnt oak flavors.  Struggled for the sherry, but maybe that was the extra sweetness. 

Went looking for a different local rum, but they were out and the proprietor recommended this one as it had a vanilla flavor, but did not have vanilla added.  I caught a little of it straight, certainly sweet, but a bit of a burn.  Mixed wasn’t anything special, but I could smell vanilla.  I did like the composition of the various rums that were listed on the bottle.  Oh, and I believe this could also be listed as the Rum Cooperative Vol. 1.

After having the XO, I had higher hopes for this one. Alas, it did not meet them.  This one had an artificial taste that did not improve with airing or mixing. 

Avast! Hang me for a lewd cur, but this be better than expected! On the nose, she has what ya might expect from a traditional rum: oak, vanilla, maybe a wee bit of caramel, but hidin' under that be somethin' fatty. Not buttery... fatty, like Fatty, the cook we "acquired" on our most recent... "job". Anyhoo, as taste goes, there be a fierce sweetness that comes on board first with a wee bit of cola hidin' in its shadow. From there, a bit of a burn kicks in and swerves the sweetness inta somethin' like a torched stone fruit. That retreats quickly inta an obvious, lusty tequila flavor that not be bad at all. At the very, very end, the sweet comes back to haunt ya... but in a friendly way, not in a drag-me-to-hell way. Might this be good for sippin'? Aye! She holds 'er own without any sort of nonsense pollutin' it. She may be an unholy mix of two upstandin' spirits, but there be strength in numbers - and she be ready to prove 'er mettle to ya. Arrgh!

Got this recently in a charity auction. Pretty good but a bit astringent for a higher rating.

I was fortunate enough to be given a shot of this at a tiki bar in Chicago when I struck up a great conversation with the bartender. I told him I really liked the Clairin Le Rocher, so he had me try this one. It was fantastic. Loved the flavor profile (which, as with most Clairin's, is really hard to nail down and put to words). Its funky, but its flavorful and much smoother than I expected for a Haitian Agricole. I will be adding a bottle of this to my bar. Very good stuff!

Anyone who knows the Phillips brand knows it's all rot-gut stuff that you typically only get when you're underage, don't have much money, don't know how much it actually costs, and the runner hates you and your friends and keeps a bigger cut of the cash you give them. It's cheaper to go to your parents' car and just siphon off some gas and mix that.
***DISCLAIMER***
(Okay, my lawyer just advised me to add, I don't really want you or anyone to drink gas from your parents' car. Siphon it from a lawnmower instead. What? I can't say that either? WTH?!).

I've sipped this straight and had it in a few tiki cocktails. It's a solid rum which should be a staple for most rum enthusiasts who want a basic but quality aged rum mixer. I would recommend this to have in a bar collection, especially if you like tiki cocktails. But if you want a sipper or something with more character, move up to the 12 year.

This comes across differently from previous releases. 2018 was transcend ental, 2020 simply very good, this though is different again.
Smell, I get complex layers of sugar, white and brown, with something rich and slightly herbaceous underneath.
Taste is something nearer to agave than cane, it's got that mescal like weird rubber vibe, with lots of complex 'green' sugar notes and an evolving finish.
Overall, it's the most sippable clairin I've tried neat, but it's also the least like clairin I've tried. On one level I'm intrigued, on the other disappointed. Weirdly, I bought this for cocktails, but I actually think it'll be swamped in a Hurricane, and I'm inclined instead to drink this neat.
Strange drink, odd times.

A slight upgrade from the standard HC white, this has a little bit more character and works better in a mojito than the white. Good in mojitos and rum and cokes, but I don't see it being worth much more than that. I would add it to my bar collection, but just for when I have guests who don't appreciate good rums and are rum and coke types.

I typically only have this when I'm overseas and in bars and hotel bars that have limited good rum choices. It's fine in a mojito, but I wouldn't use it in much else. Not good, not bad, just right in the middle and inoffensive.

I've only drunk this in Tom & Jerry's in the wintertime. It's alright. Not offensive, and does the job. Not something I would stock other than to give it to guests I don't want to have the good stuff. But it's decent for the price.

Even as a mixer, there isn't much use for this product. I find it bitter, aggressively bitter, with no redeeming quality other than it has alcohol in it. Outside of that, best avoided if you can. If that is all a bar has, well, switch to beer.

Only got it for a 'Dark and Stormy' some people visiting me wanted to drink. It's alright. Better than the flagship bottle, but still not my thing. I find Kraken a little better, but both are not rums I would seek out to drink or add to my collection.

You all know it. Best thrown in with coke. Not much more use for it. It is what it is. This wont ever stock my shelf. But if you like it, you like it.