Appleton Estate to launch new expression
Ultra-Premium seminar participants to get first taste of 15-Year-Old Black River Casks
Published:Thursday | March 18, 2021 | 12:21 AMStephanie Lyew/Gleaner Writer
This year’s Jamaica Rum Festival (JRF) online seminars will act as the launchpad for the Appleton Estate 15-Year-Old Black River Casks.
Appleton Estate has announced its plans to unveil the newest expression, comprising a blend of rare and hand-selected pot and column-still rums, aged for a minimum of 15 years, which has not yet been released to the local market.
Revered Appleton Estate Jamaica Rum Master Blender Dr Joy Spence will personally sign the bottles of premium aged rum which will be presented to participants registered for the Appleton Estate Ultra-Premium Rum Experience seminar.
“The absence of face-to-face seminars made us think outside the box as to how we could create a unique experience at home,” Spence told Food.
With the virtual experience being the first of its kind, she added, “Participants will learn much more about appreciating premium rums while experiencing pairing in a unique way.”
Participants will be educated on the brand’s unique history and manufacturing process, and as rum enthusiasts, get the chance to enjoy and appreciate the complex flavours of the Appleton Estate range of premium, award-winning expressions.
“They will also receive a 750 ml bottle of the Appleton Estate 15-year-old Black River Casks personally signed by me. It reveals aromas of toasted almond and delicate hazelnut followed by intense orange peel, rich vanilla and subtle hints of medium roasted coffee and molasses. The finish has delicate spice with fruity subtle oak ending with a creamy lingering finish,” Spence shared, speaking of the qualities of the Appleton Estate 15-Year-Old Black River Casks and why it’s a must-have for any rum connoisseur.
The JRF’s Appleton Estate Joy Spence Master Class Seminar Experience is scheduled to take place on Wednesday, March 24, from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Spence shared that a special kit has been created to make the virtual experience engaging, and as close as possible to the event where participants interacted in the same space.
“They [the participants] will receive bottles with orange peel, vanilla pods, nutmeg, roasted coffee beans and chocolate for a sensory experience. In addition, they will receive unique food pairing items for tasting with our premium rums,” she said. “All of these will be packaged in a branded wooden box which will be a special keepsake for their homes.” A rich, full-bodied rum, the Appleton Estate 15-Year-Old Black River Casks may be enjoyed ‘neat’ or with a few cubes of ice.
The new introduction to Appleton Estate’s assorted rum collection establishes a super-premium positioning with a limited number of bottles available annually. Globally, producers are tapping into the premiumisation trend with the premium aged rum category in high demand within the spirits industry, with Appleton Estate’s portfolio of rums being named in the top 10 bestsellers. As a result of this, the brand Appleton Estate has been activating rum and food-pairing experiences globally to showcase the beautiful and complex flavours of their rums and how they can be enjoyed with various foods, said Spence.
“We have worked with several famous Jamaican chefs to promote these experiences, and this has created quite a stir in the industry,” she said.