An Ode to Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum

It is true what they say, that some things get better with age. Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum has been made in Jamaica for 260 years - that's right, 260 years, and it shows in their exceptional rum! Appleton Estate has been creating rum in the Nassau Valley since 1749...it's no wonder they have achieved perfection!

I happen to have a few Jamaican friends back in Miami, so when I was planning my trip to Jamaica, I asked for recommendations of things that they thought I should try. I am a fan of rum, so I specifically asked which rum I should try while I was there. Everyone told me to just drink Appleton, that it was the best the island had to offer.

They weren't wrong. Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum is phenomenal! When I returned home to Miami, I had to research why on their website. I found that it is so unique in it's flavor because of where it is grown in Jamaica - the Nassau Valley, where there is actually a micro-climate that produces fantastic sugar cane!

From the website:

During the fermentation process, the sugar cane molasses and our special culture of yeast combine with exceptionally soft water, filtered by the limestone hills of the Cockpit Country and originating from a spring on the Estate. It is the natural qualities of our yeast and the pure, limestone filtered water that give Appleton Estate Jamaica rums their unique character, taste and aroma.

There are more than one Appleton Estate to choose from, which makes the task of selecting a bottle to bring home even more complicated than the decision of how many bottles to bring home!

• Appleton Estate V/X is a full-bodied, premium aged rum that boasts a warm golden color, rich satisfying aroma and an exceptionally sophisticated flavor. Appleton Estate V/X is a perfect blend of 15 select, varying styles of rums that have been aged in handcrafted oak barrels. This particular flavor is recommended for cocktails because it has hints of orange peel, spices, brown sugar and molasses.

• Appleton Estate Reserve is a balanced blend of 20 Estate-produced rums personally selected by the Appleton Estate Master Blender, distilled in specially designed copper pot stills and aged in handcrafted oak barrels. This flavor is also recommended for use in cocktails because it has hints of orange peel, vanilla and butterscotch. Obviously, this is the flavor that I brought home with me!
• Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rum is aged 12 years, according to the Scottish-English law, which means that all the rums contained in the blend must reflect the specific age noted on the bottle. Every Appleton Estate 12 Year Old is aged a minimum of 12 years. This lengthy aging in small oak casks creates a full-bodied sipping rum - perfectly served on the rocks!
• Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Rum is considered the connoisseur-worthy because it is a blend of the finest aged rums – all at least 21 years old. Each rum is carefully selected by the Appleton Estate Master Blender for its unique character, flavor and bouquet and then blended to create a beautiful copper appearance with spicy and wooded notes.
• Limited Edition 30 Year Old Rum was hand-crafted by Master Blender Joy Spence. Each of the 744 limited-edition bottles of Appleton Estate 30 Year Old available to the U.S. were created from individual marques of rum set to age in oak barrels over 30 years ago. The blends that make up Appleton Estate 30 Year Old were first individually aged for 8 years, then blended together and aged for an additional 22 years in the highest quality oak barrels. Talk about a commitment to excellence!

* I received a sample of Appleton Estate Rum and I was not required to write this review. All opinions are my own.