(formerly J. Wray Jamaica Silver Rum and Appleton White Jamaica Rum)

I got this bottle of Kingston 62 at duty free for cheap. I don’t think I have ever seen this elsewhere in the US, though I have seen Appleton white and J. Wray Silver, so my guess is that it’s just a slow rollout. I got this 1.14L bottle for a mere $17 tax-free, but my local liquor store has J. Wray Silver in stock at 750mL for $18 + tax, so that’s probably closer to the actual price you’ll encounter.

So, obviously when it comes to a lightly aged white column still rum, I’m comparing it to Bacardi, as it seems to be a direct competitor.

Review

Smell

Not very strong on the nose, but I get sweetness, coconut, vanilla, and some alcohol harshness. In comparison, Bacardi smells the same way, but much stronger, including the harshness of the alcohol.

Taste

Drinking it neat, the primary sensation is the harshness of the alcohol, followed by coconut and vanilla. It is slightly smoother than Bacardi, which is rather rough to drink neat, but honestly, the flavors are pretty much the same.

In a daiquiri, there is a slight difference in taste, where the Kingston 62 is a bit less strong on flavor, but also being slightly less harsh as well. This difference is pretty tiny, though. If I ordered a Bacardi daiquiri and you gave me one with Kingston 62, unless I was literally trying them side by side like I am now, I’d never pick out the difference.

Verdict 4.5/10

I gave it the same score as Bacardi, because if I wasn’t literally trying them in a side-by-side comparison, I couldn’t tell the difference. Kingston 62 is slightly less flavorful, but also slightly less harsh, but it’s really not a huge difference. Also, in terms of price, they don’t seem to be much different. I got it for $17 at duty free, and right next to it was the same 1.14L of Bacardi for $16. The same liquor store that has 750mL bottles of J. Wray Silver for $18 has Bacardi right next to it for $17. So you’re basically paying $1 more for a very similar rum.