To be honest the entry level Appleton (just called "Appleton Signature" iirc?) would be a reasonably well-priced intro to the world of funky Jamaican rum and IMO would be a better way to show that rum isn't just about sweetness. I'm trying to think what the author had which would have lead him to this conclusion. Tbh if they'd only tried the darker "British" ones - like Pussers - might explain it? Pussers blue in particular has a caramelized demerara sugar taste that for me really needs to be mixed so that it's not overpowering.
As someone who never liked the taste of whiskey, I'm glad that there is Rum or even Vodka.
To me a Dark'n'Stormy is a great drink, in part due to imagining the pirates of the old time sailing on the high seas with nothing else but their wits and rum.
