Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend (70cl , 43%)

Appleton Estate is easily on of the most well known brands from Jamaica (alongside its sister brand, Wray & Nephew) as well as one of the oldest rum distilleries on the island. They state that sugar cane has been distilled on site since 1749, but historian Ian Williams has cited documentation saying that rum was being made there as early as 1709 – curious if that’s ever going to become an official statement. They were producing both rum and sugar until 2020 when they had to close the sugar factory.

Interestingly, the story of Appleton Estate as a brand starts with John Wray who in 1825 opened The Shakespeare Tavern in Kingston. At the time, the Theatre Royal next door was so busy that it was bringing a lot of patrons to the Tavern and, because of that, Wray had to stock any liquid he could get his hands on, including beer and Madeira wine. Its close proximity to the Kingston port also allowed him to get his hands on various rums coming to the island and so he started experimenting with them. The Shakespeare Tavern and Wray’s rum were starting to become increasingly more popular so, in order to adapt, he started buying more and more casks which weren’t always filled with the best rums due to lack of availability. In order to overcome that he started blending them to keep a level of consistency and to make the best out of his stock. Nowadays blending is one of the processes that define Appleton Estate rums, but Wray had to do it out of necessity.

In 1860 John Wray brought in his nephew, Charles James Ward, and changed the company name to J. Wray & Nephew. He was a noted philanthropist, entrepreneur, and benefactor – in 1907 the Theatre Royal was destroyed by an earthquake, but Ward rebuilt it and nowadays it bears his name. While Ward was at the helm of J. Wray & Nephew, Jamaica was going through a new chapter with a lot of new free people looking to make a future for themselves. C.J. Ward understood that and he put Jamaica first, creating and giving jobs to the locals as well as building a few hotels where he would offer them accommodation at very reasonable prices.

In 1901 J. Wray & Nephew acquired some of the Monymusk Distillery and in 1916 the company was bought by the Lindo Brothers & Co. who also purchased the Appleton Estate that same year. Due to this it was only natural that an expression containing rums from both distilleries would exist – it was branded as Applemony and it became quite popular at the time. Previous to this, J. Wray & Nephew’s rums were called Dagger (One Dagger, Two Dagger, Three Dagger) and it was only in 1944 when the first Appleton Estate branded rum appeared – the Appleton Estate Special. This was one of the earliest distillery named brands. Both the Appleton and Dagger rums existed simultaneously until the later was dropped in the 1950s.

The history of the brand is very interesting and rich, but the Appleton Estate nowadays wouldn’t be the rum we know without Doctor Joy Spence. After graduating from the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Science Degree, First Class Honours, Joy spent some years teaching chemistry, before moving to England where she also graduated from the Loughborough University with a Masters’ degree in Analytical Chemistry in 1978. She then returned to Jamaica and joined Appleton Estate as Chief Chemist in 1981. She was inspired and mentored by the previous Master Blender, Owen Tulloch, and became the Master Blender for Appleton in 1997 – she is the first woman in the spirits industry to achieve the position of Master Blender.

The 12 year old is what got me interested in the Appleton Estate brand to begin with. This is where we are going into the proper sipping realm of the range.

It was rebranded from Appleton Estate Extra 12 Year old, but from what I was told, the rum remained the same.

Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Casks is molasses based, pot and column distilled and aged for at least 12 years in ex-Bourbon barrels. Bottled at 43% ABV with no sweeteners.

On the nose it feels more spicy and less fruity. Aromatic tobacco, marmalade, black cardamom and ripe bananas. Allspice, ginger and ripe stone fruits. Seems less sharp than the 8 Year Old. Black pepper, pomegranate molasses, shoe polish and caramel.

On the palate the oak seems to have some bite. Aromatic tobacco, cardamom, burnt tangerine zest, roasted nuts and black pepper. Maple syrup, stone fruits and a hint of wasabi. The woody notes are complimenting the fruity distillate very well. Cinnamon, cloves, candied bananas and ginger. Cacao nibs, coffee grounds and charred oak. The finish is medium to long with stone fruits and oak spices with a hint of bitterness.

This does what it says on the label, it has the signature flavours of Appleton Estate but the wood is dialed up a little more than the Reserve. If you prefer your rum with more oak spice and dark notes, then this should be your cup of tea.

Rare Blend is the new name for Appleton 12 Year Old Extra. Distilled in traditional copper pot stills, Rare Blend is a superb blend of rums, many of which have been aged for at least 12 years.Deep oak, fruity, and cocoa notes, followed by delicate molasses, vibrant orange peel, rich vanilla, subtle coffee, with a hint of toasted oak and almond.