What we’re drinking: Appleton Estate Hearts Collection 1998
Where it’s from: Appleton Estate is based in the lush Nassau Valley area of Jamaica. The distillery (which also produces Wray & Nephew rum) has been operating for 275 years; it’s currently owned by Campari America.
Why we’re drinking this: This is the eighth edition of Appleton Estate’s 100% pot still Jamaican rum collection, and the release is usually among our favorite spirits of the year. It also sells out pretty much immediately.
As always, the new release was overseen by Master Blender Dr. Joy Spence, who’s been with Appleton Estate for over 40 years. Helping her select the barrels this year: Luca Gargano, renowned rum expert and spirits importer.
This 1998 vintage consists of a single proprietary marque (distillate recipe) distilled in a copper pot still, aged 25 years and bottled in 2023. It comes from just 19 barrels — and as Dr. Spence notes, that’s out of the over 200,000 barrels available at the estate.
Everything You Know About Dark Rum Is Wrong
To start, there’s no such thing as “dark rum.” We’ll explain.Why call it the Hearts Collection? “Three reasons,” says Dr. Spence. “One, Appleton Estate is located in the heart of Jamaica. Two, the pot still is the heart of all our blends. And three, it’s combining the hearts of two people who are passionate about making rum. And interestingly, whenever I sign a bottle, I always put a little heart on it.”
Another interesting note is that, as previously mentioned, this is a 100% pot still expression. “People say having a 100% pot still rum is wrong — it’s just going to overpower with flavor,” muses Dr. Spence. “It’s not going to be beautiful to drink. And for other expressions, we do use column stills to tone the flavor of the pot still rum. But on its own, column still is not as intriguing.”
Let’s have a sip.
How it tastes: Coming in at a powerful but not overpowering 63% ABV and aged in ex-bourbon casks, this one starts with an herbal, fruity note on the nose. On the palate, you’ll find plenty of orange peel, sweet molasses, red fruit, vanilla, ginger, coffee, spicy oak and almond. It’s complex and rich — and you’ll definitely want to add a few drops of water (even Dr. Spence recommends doing so).
Fun fact: The Hearts Collection packaging features not only the exact cask numbers used, but also the total amount of congeners in the rum, which you’ll rarely see on a bottle. Most alcohol contains congeners — these compounds are a byproduct of fermentation, and they help contribute to the taste and aroma of your drink (and also help contribute to your hangover).
Where to buy: Appleton Estate Hearts Collection 1998 will start rolling out in select U.S. spirits retail outlets at the end of August, with an MSRP of approximately $650. Given how quickly it sells out, the distillery urges people to go to its website and sign up for its newsletter, which will include pre-sale information.
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