This is why I’ve stopped using Appleton Rum!

[@heatherharrison264]

I seldom make cocktails at home because I am pathologically lazy, so my collection mostly consists of higher end sipping rums. In the United States, Appleton has been readily available for a long time with various age statements. Appleton 12-year was the first rum I ever had with a significant age statement, and it is the rum that convinced me that rum could be something more than a mixer in sugary cocktails. I'll always have a soft spot for it. Any of the age-stated Appletons work well as sipping rums. I don't currently have an Appleton at home, but I had the 21-year at a bar recently, and I'm tempted to get one of those. Worthy Park hasn't been nearly as prominent, but it has started showing up recently. I found a version of Worthy Park (Single Estate Reserve, with a 6-10 year age statement) at BevMo in southern California for about $70. I was surprised to find it, as BevMo has never had the greatest selection of rum. It's a great sipping rum, and I have been getting into that bottle on a regular basis. It has the funk, and the barrel age gives it some complexity.

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

WP Reserve is a fantastic alternative to Appleton 8. Albeit A8 is a decent chunk cheaper in the UK.

[@rhodeisland92]

This is exactly the channel I’ve been looking for. Love your style brother!

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

Welcome aboard my friend! 🫡

[@Fedorevsky]

Really enjoying these blind test videos! Keep 'em coming!

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

Thanks my friend. Hope you're good?

[@PamD1]

Still not cracked my WP Single Estate but loving the 109 with coke. Really getting in the Jamaican vibe.

[@keithweiland]

Worthy park select is far from $20 in the uk now, it is almost £28 and Rum-Bar Gold is only a little cheaper at £27. Both Appleton Estate and Kingston 62 are far cheaper at £20 each.

[@Lokalo1]

Strangely it seems everywhere else appleton is very common rum in even supermarkets. Here is hard to find applenton and signature costs like 28-29 euros, while rum-bar gold or select is around ~27. For me personally, perhaps rum-bar gold is a little bit more balanced all around and select has way more distinctive flavour, which sometimes can be too much/outshining a cocktail. But I agree with appleton, I like daquiris with appleton signature, but in pretty much everything else it just disappears, so in my case there are way more cheaper options which have more distinctive flavour too. I will give some more love to select, althogh I feel for my cocktail use 109 is just way more versatile, either as one rum mai tai either as a split base. Sadly can't get kingston at all, actually ordered a shipment from Spain, but ordered a white kingston, not sure how much it differs. Thanks for the video!

[@mullac90again]

Bit gutted i seem to have missed the early prices or something. WP select is around £34 mark now, which makes it dearer than the appleton 8 year. We are talking £13 more than AP sig 😮

[@EddieRicks-i8v]

I tried the apple 🍎 ton estate 15 year and I went back to the store a few times already and nothing . It’s all gone still looking but the 12 year is good also . 😊

[@TeamTimeRiders]

I feel like Appleton is a really nice rum but it lacks that Jamaican “Hogo” you love so much. I’m lucky that my interest in alcohol and rums coincided with me moving to New York where any bottle I want is available, albeit at a premium. Whereas the 750 is available at $26 at Astor Wines, Warehouse sells the 1L for only $1 more. Given what a great entry it has been for Jamaican rums, I definitely see Appleton having a permanent place on my bar. That said, I might upgrade to the 8 or 12 year if im looking for a bit more “hogo” but even so, it can be cut with smith and cross, which I also like to drink in a daiquiri, or perhaps even with the Coruba, which I have not yet tried.

[@EdRoeJr]

Steve, what are your measurements for your Rum & Coke and Mai Tai for comparing different rums? I would like to host a tasting gathering. Thank you.

[@sergisamongas]

Appleton 12 is available at costco for about $40. That is usually what i get for one of mai tai components.

[@NickVolk]

Stevo, just recently i opened Relicario Suprimo (a blend of rums 10 to 15 yo from the Dominican Republic but produced by some independent bottlers from Spain) I gotta tell ya that I still beside myself with joy and pleasure! Just a FANTASTIC rum👍👍👍. It cost me 'bout 70 euros here in Moscow in translation. How much is it in the UK?

[@benykristo]

Appleton estate Signature is my most used bottle. Rumbar Gold has a olive taste that I like less, cant talk about the others though

[@_allcap]

We still don't have Worthy Park Select on the westcoast of the US. I would love to find it before my bottle of Xaymaca finishes.

[@jeffredfern3744]

Well, I can get 750 mL of Rum Bar Gold for 30 USD. Worthy Park for 750 mL is 150 USD. I can get Appleton Estate 1.5 L for ~40 USD at Costco. Kingston 62 is 100 USD for 750 mL. Chicago, US. These rums are in different leagues price wise.

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

Wow, sometimes i'm really jealous of US prices, as you generally pay silly money compared to us. However, $100 for Kingston 62...something I know California has for less than $20 is bonkers!

[@chrisayers9079]

Was Appleton Dark rebranded as something else? A friend said he used it for his boat drink when he lived in the Florida Keys and it’s very rare to find a bottle now.

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

About 15 years ago, there used to be Appleton 151 Dark Rum, so an overproof. Which was only available your way. Deffo not an export product. But that’s been long discontinued and to my knowledge Appleton has not done a normal “Dark” Rum, well certainly in my lifetime. But that’s only from a UK perspective. They may have done a Dark Rum for Jamaica only. But deffo not on normal sale.

[@chrisayers9079]

@@StevetheBarmanRumReviews thank you - this is what I have been hoping to find. www.google.com/search?q=j+wray+and+nephew+appleton+dark+rum&client=safari&sca_esv=41a5493a62e2aafe&sca_upv=1&bih=650&biw=393&hl=en-US&tbm=isch&prmd=sivnmbtz&sxsrf=ADLYWIL8jRn5kxJQLj0VaE8j7TAYtlOVVA:1714955102353&source=lnms&ved=1t:200715&ictx=111#imgrc=MHgiyfXjFRrzSM

[@Fedorevsky]

Now I want to try the Rum-Bar which sadly is not available here. I really like the Worthy Park for a cheap alternative though I prefer paying a bit more for a bit more aged varieties from them (I sip rum bare most of the time, only rarely make drinks when having guests over usually). Kingston is not available either here. For Appleton I prefer more aged but they are a bit expensive for what you get here so I tend to go for other brands.

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

I hear ya... I think once you're in your Rum Journey, you'd probably go Appleton 8 for Mixing. Probabyl 12 for Sipping...maybe even Mixing if its decent price. However, we all know the Lower price points of any brand sell 100x (at the least) more than any aged variety.

[@MrHavy09]

It cost about ~$100 to order Worthy Park Select in the area that I live in the states. Unfortunately, Worthy Park isn't really as prevalent in the US. Still have App 12 has my favorite Jamaican Rum though (Blinded App 12 with Hampden 8 Yr and preferred App 12)

[@Default78334]

Rum Bar Gold is actually surprisingly pricey in the US, typically falling in the low $30s for a 750mL bottle.

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

Oh Wow. Thats really interesting, as i know the Select is circa $20 and thats the "upgrade" from Rum Bar! How Strange!!

[@Default78334]

@@StevetheBarmanRumReviews Chairman's Reserve is also on the higher end here. I guess it makes up for the cheap Appleton and El Dorado rum.

[@damianvelu121]

Amazing , Could you make a video of Old Port Rum from india?

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

I don’t think I can get that in the UK. No one imports it.

[@jimklemens5018]

Appleton Signature in the 1.75 liter bottle in California is $45.

[@umami0247]

Thumbs nail is a bit confusing as Appleton is an excellent sipping rum. I personally don’t mix because of diabetes and find a good sipping rum more important than a mixing rum same with whiskey don’t care what it’s mixing score is just real flavor value is what is it’s importance to me.

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

It's not that confusing... i mean the title and video are why i don't use Appleton Signature, and the Thumbnail is a cross through a bottle of Appleton. Kinda nails it if you ask me...

[@ILuvRum]

Great video, going to have to find some Worthy Park, but I beg to differ,...the King of Jamaica is Wray & Nephew White Overproof.

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

hahahaa...actually... i beg to differ again, cos i think once you try the brand new Worthy Park Overproof, Uncle Wray will most certainly lose his crown! 😂

[@ILuvRum]

@@StevetheBarmanRumReviews 😆

[@0529mpb]

Well, Wray and Nephew is certainly cheap when you can get 1.75 liter handles for less than $50. There are rums with as much funk and less of the unpleasant esters.

[@NickVolk]

Thanks a great deal Stevo! A flipping interesting test to me😉

[@barnabychugnutcr]

Master of malt had kingston 62 for £12 recently, absolute steal

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

Are you sure? That'd kinda be illegal in the UK. We're not allowed to sell Alcohol lower than Cost. And Cost + Tax is deffo more than £12 in the UK. Tax alone on that bottle is circa £7.

[@barnabychugnutcr]

I promise you, £9.95 ex vat each, bought 3, along with 2 bottles of chairmans reserve legacy for £19.95 ex vat each. Couldnt believe it myself, wish I'd bought 10

[@duncanhitchcock]

I got the same £12 deal and brought the legacy too. Thought it was a proper bargain !

[@ElijsDima]

I used to think most/all jamaican rums were at least decent and good, and then I foolishly bought Royal Jamaican. Blech.

[@StevetheBarmanRumReviews]

This is thing I try to point out. Theres a big difference between Distillery own brands, and indy bottlers. And then there’s big differences with indy bottlers too! Myers is obvs an indy bottler. Coruba is an indy bottler. Smith and Cross is indy. Hamilton is indy. But you can not compare any of them to the likes of Samaroli, Kill Devil, SBS, Mezan, Compagnie or Colours of Rum. As they’re totally different concepts.

[@NickVolk]

👌🤝🙏👍🥂

[@deusvult8251]

Can you stop saying funk that means a bad smell