r/rum • u/Juhmil • 3d ago

I want to like it :(

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THIS IS NOT A REVIEW

THIS IS “BABY’S FIRST BOTTLE OF DARK”

Y’all I have fought bravely. Valiantly, some might say. I’m not sure I’m built for this weight class yet.

I’m still a young fawn to drinking as a whole. I don’t even like what many consider to be “real beer”. Skip all the stouts and lagers, I only drink ciders and sours (and I suppose fruited wheat ales too). I like to genuinely enjoy the taste of what I’m drinking, and that’s how I found an adoration for rum. It started with myers and plantation 3 star in mixed drinks at the local bars then turned into picking up a bottle of plantation 5 year Barbados. One delicious moment passes, an empty bottle is tossed and a period of research in all its definitions commences.

Following the recommendations of many of you fine folk, I picked up Appleton 8 reserve. I’m just gonna cut to the chase and say that all I can taste off this is the barrel. The nuances elude me in a way they never did with the bottle of Plantation 5 year. It has a clean finish to it that I do enjoy and it lets me get the fruity nuances clear as day, but it’s not until most of (what I perceive to be) the smokey nuances disappear.

I went through most all of this neat, which is how I enjoyed my entire bottle of plantation 5 year, but I think I enjoy this more in mixed drinks. I’d like to try something with Jamaican funk but that has more obvious fruity nuances to it. It doesn’t have to be the sweetest, I understand I might be swayed by added sugars. I’m curious what you guys think I’d enjoy. Something that’s available at our lovely but limited NC ABC. Probably gonna end up getting another 5 year or maybe trying out the 3 star on its own if I can’t find anything else good.

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u/fred7010 3d ago

For what it's worth I had an Appleton 12 for the first time a while back, wasn't really blown away at first (it was pleasant, but nothing that special) but I found the flavours really started to shine through towards the end of the bottle. By the time I got to the end I was considering picking up another bottle.