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Posts Tagged ‘Appleton Estate’

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#Top100Rums of 2017: #9 – Appleton Estate Rare Blend

Posted by Arctic Wolf on December 12, 2017

The Appleton Estate is located in Nassau Valley in St. Elizabeth which is part of Jamaica’s Cockpit Country. The Cockpit Country is a karst formation which was formed over millions of years as the underlying limestone was eroded by the chemical action of rain.  Within a cockpit karst formation are valleys known as Poljes. They are formed where a river floods, then recedes and forms a flat valley over millions of years. The soil in the poljes is very fertile and rich in nutrients because of the sediments left behind after the river had receded.

In 1749, within the polje known as the Nassau Valley, the Appleton Estate Sugar Factory was founded. The Nassau Valley has a special mild micro-climate which is ideally suited to the growth of sugarcane. As well, a water source wells from the limestone formation and provides an exceptionally soft pure water which used for the production of Appleton Estate Rums.

Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend is crafted in small batches. This is a true 12 Year Old spirit as the Appleton Estate website informs us that it all of the rums which make up this blend are each aged at least 12 years.

Here is a link to the review for the Rum Howler #9 Rum of 2017:

Review: Appleton Estate Rare Blend 12 Year Old

“… Dark brown sugar and toffee meld with oak spice, orange peel and marmalade. Baking spices in the form of vanilla, cinnamon, a touch of allspice and hints of nutmeg weave in and out of the oak spice with some nutty almond and crushed walnuts lurking just underneath. As I let the rum sit I notice a firm impression of pipe tobacco carrying notes of camphor and hints of menthol …”

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We  have reached the top 10 rum spirits of 2017. I have reviewed and/or re-tasted each of the top 10 rums within the past year. (All Rum reviews were based upon bottle samples either purchased by myself or provided to me by industry.)

You can continue to follow the countdown on twitter (Rum Howler on Twitter) using the hashtag #Top100Rums.

Alternatively you can view the list as it grows daily by viewing my Reveal Page:

The Rum Howler – Top 100 Rums of 2017

Posted in Awards, Extras, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on #Top100Rums of 2017: #9 – Appleton Estate Rare Blend

APPLETON ESTATE’S JOY SPENCE AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL HONOUR

Posted by Arctic Wolf on October 2, 2017

Joy Spence, Appleton Estate’s Master Blender and World’s First Female Master Blender (of a global brand) with more than 20 years of experience, was awarded the honour of the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Commander (CD) by the Government of Jamaica in recognition of her contribution to the promotion of Jamaica’s rum industry and Brand Jamaica globally. The Order of Distinction is a national order in the Jamaican honours system conferred upon citizens of Jamaica who have rendered outstanding and important services to Jamaica, or to distinguished citizens of a country other than Jamaica.

Joy now finds herself among a prestigious group of fellow countrymen that have received this honor, including the current Governor-General of Jamaica, Sir Patrick Allen, and the fastest man in the world, Usain Bolt.

Additionally, Joy was named one of the Most Influential Women in Food & Drink by the prestigious Food & Wine Magazine in partnership with their sister publication, Fortune Magazine.  The award-winning publications recognized Joy in their list of 20 female trailblazers and trendsetters who have raised the bar and changed the way we enjoy food and drink. Joy is credited for elevating the recognition and desirability of high-end rums as a Master Blender and rum evangelist.

More about Joy Spence

Joy fell in love with chemistry at age thirteen, and set her mind on becoming a scientist. After graduating from the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and the University of Loughborough with a Master of Science in Analytical Chemistry, she joined Appleton Estate in 1981 as Chief Chemist and quickly became fascinated with the art of sensory analysis and the process of creating rums. Over the next 16 years, under the expert guidance of then Master Blender, Owen Tulloch, Joy honed her acute sensory skills, developing an unrivalled mastery of taste and smell.

In 1997 Joy was appointed as the world’s first female Master Blender, shattering the spirits industry’s glass ceiling at a time when rum was primarily made and consumed by men. At once an artist and a scientist, Joy has spent the last 20 years creating some of the world’s finest rums.

Speaking about her latest achievement Joy comments:

“I am truly humbled as I never anticipated being awarded with recognitions such as these. I thank those who nominated me for their confidence and appreciation. I would also like to thank my family, colleagues and others who have supported me along the way. The work I have accomplished over these many years is the result of the passion I have for the rum industry, Appleton Estate and Brand Jamaica.”

Throughout her illustrious career numerous awards have been presented to Joy in recognition of her exceptional life’s work. Joy was previously awarded the Order of Distinction in the Rank of Officer, (OD) by the government of Jamaica for her service and contributions to the spirits industry in 2005 and “Outstanding Contribution” at the International Spirits Challenge in 2014. Joy was also given an honorary doctorate from the University of the West Indies.

2017 marks Joy’s 36th anniversary at Appleton Estate and 20th anniversary as Master Blender. She continues to pour her passion into the industry daily. To celebrate her 20th anniversary as Master Blender, this year she released Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend, a rare 25-year-old limited edition rum that is the culmination of Joy’s pioneering spirit, inventive mind, and dedication to her craft.

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The Rum Howler Blog offers our hearty congratulations to Joy Spence. The honours you have earned are well deserved!

(And I will have more on Joy Spence’s, Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend Rum Howler Top 100 Rums of 2017 later this year as I continue to count down the .)  #Top100Rums

Posted in Howls, Rum | Tagged: , , , | Comments Off on APPLETON ESTATE’S JOY SPENCE AWARDED PRESTIGIOUS NATIONAL HONOUR

Review: Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend

Posted by Arctic Wolf on May 19, 2017

On March 23rd, 2017 I attended to a very special tasting event hosted by Joy Spence, Master Blender for Appleton Estate Rum. Although the focus of the event was to introduce everyone to the new Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend (see review here),  I was also giving the opportunity to sample the entire family of Appleton Rums as part of the event. I acquired samples of each of the rums and today I am going to share my thoughts on one of my favourites.

The Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend is crafted in small batches. This is a true 12 Year Old spirit as the Appleton Estate website informs us that it all of the rums which make up this blend are each aged at least 12 years.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Appleton Estate 12 Year Old Rare Blend

“… Dark brown sugar and toffee meld with oak spice, orange peel and marmalade. Baking spices in the form of vanilla, cinnamon, a touch of allspice and hints of nutmeg weave in and out of the oak spice with some nutty almond and crushed walnuts lurking just underneath …”

Please enjoy my review of what has become one of my favourite rums.

Chimo!

 

Posted in Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , | 2 Comments »

Review: Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on March 24, 2017

On March 23rd, 2017 I attended to a very special tasting event hosted by Joy Spence, Master Blender for Appleton Estate Rum. This wasn’t an ordinary tasting event. Joy Spence and Appleton Estate were serving a very special new rum.

Joy is celebrating her 20th anniversary as Master Blender of Appleton Estate Rum. She joined Appleton Estate Rum in 1982 as Chief Chemist and was appointed as the brand’s Master Distiller/Blender in 1997. At that time, Joy Spence became not only first woman to be the Master Blender of a premium rum brand, but also the first woman in the world to be the Master Blender of a global spirits brand. Since then, she has earned numerous awards, including the honorary Doctorate of Science degree from the University of Louborough and, in 2016, the Golden Rum Barrel Award for the Most Influential Rum Blender of the Last 10 Years.

To acknowledge her extraordinary career, Appleton Estate is paying homage to the revolutionary Joy Spence by releasing Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Blend, a rare 25-year-old minimum aged limited edition rum.

Here is a link to my full review of the Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Rum which I cobbled together from the tasting notes I wrote at yesterday’s tasting event.

Review: Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Rum

“… I was extremely pleased to find Jamaican pot still character (camphor and resin, bits of menthol, and vague hints of tar and iodine) very much in evidence within the oak and spice. Also within the merry little breezes was the Appleton Estate Rum signature of orange peel combined with dark brown sugar and rich baking spices (vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon and hints of allspice) …”

I hope you enjoy the review which concludes with a few serving suggestions from none other than Joy Spence herself as Joy shared with me how she would recommend enjoying her special Anniversary Rum with a small group of friends.

 

Posted in Dark Rums, Rum, Rum Reviews | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Appleton Estate Joy Anniversary Rum

Review: Appleton White Jamaican Rum

Posted by Arctic Wolf on April 27, 2016

Appleton White

The Appleton Estate is located in Nassau Valley in St. Elizabeth which is part of Jamaica’s Cockpit Country. The Cockpit Country is a karst formation which was formed over millions of years. Karst is a generic name given to limestone that has been eroded by the chemical action of rain.  The Appleton Estate is the only sugar estate in the world that is located within a fertile cockpit karst formation. All of the rum produced by Appleton Estate is made from sugar cane grown within the Nassau Valley, and thus Appleton Estate Rum is an expression of this unique terroir.

Appleton Jamaican White Rum has recently arrived in Alberta (distributed by Campari). The spirit is a molasses based rum produced from field to glass in Jamaica at the Appleton Estate from a combination of pot-distilled and column-distilled rums of rums which are blended and aged for up to 2 years in oak casks. The finished rum is further mellowed by carbon filtration which removes both colour and impurities. The spirit is bottled at 40 % alcohol by volume and (in Canada at least) is primarily aimed at the bar trade as a cocktail spirit.

Here is a link to my full review:

Review: Appleton White Jamaican Rum

“… The initial nose is quite nice with light citrus zest and orange peel combining with background impressions of mushy banana. There is also a bit of Jamaican funk in the breezes carrying a mild but firm impression of Jamaican pot distilled character into the air with herbal undertones and a hint of mustiness …”

Please enjoy my review of this surprising white rum.

Chimo!

Posted in Rum, White Rums | Tagged: , , , , , | Comments Off on Review: Appleton White Jamaican Rum

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