The Rum Barrel Blog

I’ve been a fan of the rums from Appleton Estate ever since I started my rum journey. In fact, some of my earliest reviews include a few of their expressions so I thought I need to have another look at the whole range. This write-up was something I wanted to do for a while now, but I had to wait until all the pieces fell into place, so here we go!

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.

J. Wray & Nephew went through quite a few ownership changes until 2012 when the current owners, the Campari Group, acquired the company. They revamped the range in 2020 when they also changed the Reserve Blend to an 8 Year Old age statement. The updated Appleton Estate bottles and labels put more emphasis on the distillery’s Jamaican heritage. The neck label illustrates the distillery in the Nassau Valley and they also introduced a new insignia to their branding which adorns 5 different Jamaican emblems – you can read more about what they represent on their website. At the same time they also rebranded the Appleton White and Gold to Kingston 62.

As mentioned, Appleton Estate is located deep in the middle of Jamaica’s Nassau Valley which is surrounded by limestone hills. It’s thanks to the limestone filtration that Appleton Estate can draw the water for their rum production from a clear azure-looking pond situated on their estate. The water is mixed with molasses and their proprietary yeast in order to start fermenting for about 36 hours, resulting in a 7% ABV wash. The distillery uses both pot and column stills and they reduce all their distillates to 80% ABV before placing them into casks. All the marques are aged separately and blended before bottling based on demand under Doctor Joy Spence’s supervision.

Ok, that’s enough information, I need to drink some rum now. I’ll be taking each expression from Appleton Estate’s core range and talk about them one by one.

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Appleton Estate Signature

This is the youngest rum in the range, made mostly to be used in cocktails or with mixers. It was formerly known as Appleton Estate V/X.

From what I could find online, this is comprised of 15 different rums that have been blended together and rested in oak barrels. The average age of the blend is 4 years. I will also note that the rums in the Appleton Estate core range are most likely chill-filtered and may have caramel colouring for colour correction and consistency.

Appleton Estate Signature is molasses based, pot and column distilled and aged for an average of 4 years in ex-Bourbon barrels. Bottled at 40% ABV with no sweeteners.

On the nose it feels mild and fruity. Tobacco, orange zest, ripe bananas and apricots. New furniture, liquorice and black tea. It has plenty of flavour for a rum so young. Biscuits, red apples and a hint of menthol. Toffee and vanilla as well.

On the palate seems a bit more woody. Tobacco, nutmeg, nuts and marmalade. Banana, pear and black pepper. It’s a little lighter than the nose led to believe. Biscuits, caramel and raisins. Sprinkles of cinnamon and a hint of TicTac. The finish is short to medium with tropical and dried fruits.

While I drank Appleton Estate Signature plenty of times, I’ve never sat down to analyze it like this and I have to say – it’s very underrated! While its body and mouthfeel might be a bit thin, there are enough layers to make it interesting. It’s very balanced as well, not too light or not too sharp and definitely not too funky as other Jamaican rums might be.

It can be found for around £25 (House of Malt, Master of Malt) or even cheaper when on offer (Amazon), which is quite good value. Would definitely recommend it with any mixer or in simple shaken drinks such as the Daiquiri.

Appleton Estate Signature score:
Flavour/taste: 47/70
Value for money: 14/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 76/100

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Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve

This is probably the most versatile rum from Appleton Estate. It can be mixed in drinks and it can also be easily sipped.

This expression was made by Master Blender Doctor Joy Spence in 2000 to commemorate Appleton Estate’s 250th anniversary, but was then replaced by the Reserve Blend which had no age statement. When they revamped the range in 2020 they reintroduced the 8 Year Old age statement and removed the Reserve Blend from the line-up.

Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve is molasses based, pot and column distilled and aged for at least 8 years in ex-Bourbon barrels. Bottled at 43% ABV with no sweeteners.

On the nose it feels like a few notches above the Signature. Menthol, stone fruits, woody tobacco and orange zest. Molasses, dusty old books and ripe bananas. Seems a bit sharper and more intense than the previous. Black pepper, burnt biscuits and Earl Grey tea. Some allspice and ginger as well.

On the palate it seems bright and spicy. Stone fruits, orange zest, fruity tobacco and TicTac. Bananas, honey and oak spices. It’s a good balance between fruit and spice. Some cardamom, yellow apples and liquorice as well. The finish is medium with stone fruits and honey.

If there’s an Appleton Estate bottle someone should have in their collection, I would say this is the one. It has everything, fruitiness, spice, body and sharp pot still notes which are in balance almost perfectly. The only downside is that it’s still lacking a little bit on the mouthfeel and finish, but this is still a quintessential Appleton Estate rum.

I strongly believe this to be the best value for money Appleton as well, at only £30 (House of Malt, Master of Malt) or even less when on offer (Amazon). The perfect serve for the 8 Year Old, highlighted on the Appleton Estate website as well, is a good ol’ Mai Tai. It also works great in other drinks, feel free to experiment and tag me in so I can make them too (Instagram here).

Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve score:
Flavour/taste: 51/70
Value for money: 15/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 81/100

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Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Casks

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.

The Appleton Estate 12 Year Old can be bought for £45 (House of Malt, Amazon) and while it’s not too pricey, I very much prefer the 8 Year Old for its value and what it has to offer. Still, the 12 Year Old works great in drinks like Old Fashioneds or, and hear me out, Rum Sours.

Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Reserve score:
Flavour/taste: 53/70
Value for money: 14/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 82/100

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Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks

This is one of their higher-end sipping rums and the newest addition to the core range.

It was introduced to the range in 2021 after only being available as a limited edition on the Canadian market since 2018. The moniker “Black River” is a reference to the river of the same name from which their limestone filtered water comes from. The packaging is the same as the new 21 year old, more slick and more premium looking.

Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks is molasses based, pot and column distilled and aged for at least 15 years in ex-Bourbon barrels. Bottled at 43% ABV with no sweeteners.

On the nose the intensity is definitely dialed up. Dusty old furniture, sour cherries, cloves, dried figs, nutmeg and aromatic tobacco. Burnt orange zest, glue and raw cacao nibs. It does stand out from the rest of the range. Banana flambe, black pepper and shoe polish. Some almonds and charred oak too.

On the palate the complexity is still present. Allspice, intense tobacco, marmalade and stone fruits. Almonds, ginger, dried figs, candied strawberries and dark chocolate. The long ageing gives it a certain bitterness, but I enjoy it. Walnuts, sour cherries and red apples. Some overripe banana as well. The finish is long with oak spices and nuts.

I think the 15 Year Old is a great addition to the range. It’s layered, balanced and has plenty of bite – although it’s still quite elegant compared to other Jamaican rums.

It has a more hefty price at £70-£75 (Master of Malt, The Whisky Exchange, Amazon), but it’s not that bad for the complexity you’re getting and I’d happily buy one once in a while. This is more of a sipper, but I’d also recommend it in a Manhattan (always a sweet one!).

Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Reserve score:
Flavour/taste: 56/70
Value for money: 14/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 85/100

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Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks

This is the oldest expression of the core range and, probably, the most limited in numbers.

While not exactly a limited edition, Appleton Estate produces only about 12.000 bottles of the 21 every year. As per with the rest of the range, the bottle packaging was upgraded in 2020 and I have to say I really like it. Heavy metal cork, slick bottle, with the golden insignia and letters engraved on the front of the bottle complimenting the dark redish colour of the liquid inside. The name is a pretty obvious reference to the location of the distillery.

Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks is molasses based, pot and column distilled and aged for at least 21 years in ex-Bourbon barrels. Bottled at 43% ABV with no sweeteners.

On the nose it feels like it has more pot still in the blend. Stone fruits, mothballs, rich tobacco and dried figs. Fresh orange zest, raw cacao nibs and maple syrup. Interestingly enough, it smells more fruity than the 15 Year Old. Prunes, pencil shavings and a touch of liquorice. Some banana bread as well.

On the palate it’s more wood forward. Hazelnuts, charred oak, elegant tobacco and dark chocolate. Cloves, stone fruits, strawberry jam, and a touch of wasabi. There’s definitely a good amount of pot still in here compared to the others. Nutmeg, liquorice, menthol and a hint of chamomile tea. Some ripe bananas and maple syrup as well. The finish is long with sharp stone fruits and warm oak spices.

I’ve been told the 21 Year Old contains the same pot still marque as the Appleton Estate Hearts 2002 vintage which I find very interesting. I can definitely taste the pot still influence here and I very much love it. It has everything you could want from an Appleton Estate rum, from sharp fruity notes to spicy oak layers and plenty of body.

Now, its price is quite costly at around £160 (House of Malt, Master of Malt) or sometimes at around £140 when on offer (Amazon). It’s understandable given its long ageing, the evaporation in the tropical climate of Jamaica and the limited amount made every year. Still, that’s double the price of the 15 Year Old and, as wonderful as it is, I can’t say it’s the best value of the range.

Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Reserve score:
Flavour/taste: 58/70
Value for money: 13/15
Transparency/purity: 15/15
Overall: 86/100

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Now here are my two highlights of the collection:

Appleton Estate 8 Year Old Reserve – makes an amazing Mai Tai, very versatile in cocktails, it’s tasty enough to be sipped on its own and inexpensive enough to be drank as a shot (trust me, I’ve had plenty);
Appleton Estate 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks – this is the crown jewel, the complex sipper and a great example of what a long aged fine blend can be.

The Appleton Estate rums are already very well known in the world, but that doesn’t mean they don’t deserve more. They represent Jamaica incredibly well, from the liquid inside to the packaging. While the rums in their collection have some consistent flavours and a recongnisable profile, Master Blender Joy Spence has done a fantastic job differentiating all the expressions from each other. Appleton Estate proves Jamaican rum doesn’t necessarily have to be full of funky esters in order to be enjoyable.

Many thanks to Campari Academy, London, for allowing me to use their venue in order to take the photos for this article!

Cheers!