Appleton 2008

Appleton Estate settlement was established in 1655, and as history claims, the land was given to captain Francis Dickinson as a reward for his part in seizing Jamaica (that time ruled by the Spanish) for the Queen of England. Dickinson named the estate after his birthplace in England – Appleton. His descendants then founded a prosperous distillery and in 1749 started the official rum production which makes Appleton officially the longest-working distillery in Jamaica.  

In 1871 is Appleton Estate bought by William Hill and then it changed the owner several times in the next decades. Finally in 1914 is the estate bought by James Miller Farquharson who decided for massive expansion of rum production. Cecil Lindo (Lindo Brothers & Co.) noticed the potential of the distillery and he bought the estate together with J. Wray & Nephew company in 1916 and established J. Wray & Nephew Ltd. corporation. The first rum under the Appleton Estate brand is on the market in 1944. Around 1970 the company undergoes further growth and modernization of the distillery and its premises and in this year, the first continuous column still was installed.  New Yarmouth distillery together with the sugar refinery joins J. Wray & Nephew Ltd. in 1986 and Appleton distillery opens a visitor center in 1988.

The year 2012 represents another milestone as the company becomes a part of an international consortium Campari and starts another expansion and modernization of the distillery. Thanks to these steps the new full-on tour called “Joy Spence Appleton Estate Rum Experience” is opened for visitors in 2018 and is named after the master blender Joy Spence who joined Appleton in 1981 as a main chemist. Her passion for creating rum blends has been awakened in her by former master blender and her mentor Owen Tulloch who retired in 1997 and Joy was appointed to the role of a new master blender. This made her the first woman in history who became a master blender.  

The distillery possesses five all-copper distillation equipments of Double Retort Pot Still type. Each of volume 5,000 gallons (approx. 22,750 liters) produce the final spirit at a strength of 86 % alcohol. For the production of the lighter rums, Appleton uses three-column stainless steel column stills producing a spirit with a strength of 96 % alcohol. The company has built 16 warehouses for rum aging situated in different parts of Jamaica, but mostly around Kingston town. The rums age in ex-bourbon American white oak barrels with the mark “#1 Select“ – the highest quality possible. Appleton disposes of over 240,000 of these barrels. The rums are diluted to 80 % ABV before the cask filling. They are age separated and classified by the type of distillation and also by the type (marque) of the spirit.

In your hands, you are holding the rum from Joy Spencer, the legend, role model and for many the most acknowledged master blender in the world. You can read one of her quotes written on the wall when visiting Appleton distillery: “Sipping Appleton Estate while looking up at the stars on a beautiful night in Jamaica is the closest you’ll come to heaven“. May the rum gods bless you with the same feeling while sipping this special Single Cask.