Heart of Jamaica
“The Nassau Valley is described as the beating heart of Jamaica and the weather soil and geography impacts on the nature of the rum”
Appleton proves a pioneer of both rum people and places
The Nassau Valley is one of three valleys in Jamaica and sits roughly 440ft above sea level. In an increasingly crowded world of rum, the features that make your rum standout are important. For Appleton Estate, the topography of Cockpit Country, where the estate is based, is part of what makes their rums different.
History is substantial on the estate – the first known documentation of rum production on the Appleton Estate is dated to 1749. It is widely thought that the estate itself dates to Sir Francis Dickinson in 1655, a soldier involved in the English invasion of Jamaica that year. Francis was born in Appleton, Oxfordshire (then Berkshire) and received last as reward for his role in the seizing of the land.
Between 1749 and now, the estate may have changed hands a number of times, but the Appleton Estate rum has been produced on the land ever since. Sugarcane produced on the estate is cultivated to produce the rum, while a limestone spring supplied the water. Attempts to improve environmental sustainability on the estate have seen the installation of an ash-free boiler that only emits water into the atmosphere, through to filter pressing mud. The result is that the estate was awarded an International Standards Organization Certification to prove its environmental credentials.
The brand strongly brings a sense of terroir to its spirits. The Nassau Valley is described as being the beating heart of Jamaica and the weather, soil and geography impacts on the nature of the rum.
If that’s the place, it’s clear that Appleton believe that its people are just as important – none more so than its now iconic master blender Joy Spence. Spence was the first female to be appointed as master blender in the world and is somewhat a drinks celebrity.
The Appleton Estate Signature Blend is the original rum of the distillery. It’s a blend of 15 aged rums and pitches itself as a great go-to rum. The Reserve Blend is a slightly oakier expression and a blend of 20 rums, including two that the brand claims come from ‘very rare reserve stock’, managed by Spence and her team.