Rhum / Rum - Appleton 2003 - Velier

Top condition
Box included

Serge Valentin on WhiskyFun says : 
Appleton Estate 18 yo 2003/2021 (63%, OB/Velier, Jamaica, Hearts Collection)
There was a very appealing Zoom tasting with this one the other day but I had no other choice than miss it. I feel shame, I'm not any better at that social part than a crossbreed of a tardigrade and an axolotl. Having said that, we've got a lot of details here (they're on the bottle), that there are 688 g congeners per hectolitre alcohol, that they've disgorged casks #420930 through #420950, and that they came up with 1,280 bottles. Colour: amber. Nose: what I'm always finding in those Appletons is hardwood, rosewood, also cedarwood, sandalwood… Behind that, thujas, taxus, pine, sour wines, cherries, brine, olives and capers. With water: bitter brine, amers, samphires, muds, stale seawater (a favourite), olives, tapenade, Maggi, miso… Mouth (neat): mesmerising. I'm not exaggerating. Many many vegetal oils, hevea, sesame, pumpkin seed, with something very 'roasted' which I always loved (roasted sesame oil, when its good it's fab), cashews, then just cane essence, bitter teas, cinchona and turmeric… Well this one's pretty conversational, is it not. With water: olives! Olives would save any booze. Olives and liquorice, with some peppermint liqueur. Finish: long and saltier yet. We've had seawater from the Mediterranean. Comments: I have to be careful because we'll now have an even older Appleton, but what the fudge, it'll be…
SGP:472 - 92 points.