Culinary Matters
Appleton Estate toasts 250th Anniversary with launch of 8-year-old reserve
BY NOEL CUNNINGHAM
Yes, the rumor is true, Appleton Estate released their brand new aged 8 reserve at Summerhill LCBO. Toronto is the first provincial market worldwide to see this release. The age 8 is Appleton’s brand-new addition to the portfolio of Jamaica’s most popular and finest rum brand.
When you get your personal invite from the master blender herself you know you can’t help but show up. March 4th was a night of sip and savour, good music and good food courtesy of Toronto’s Master Chef 2nd runner up Andre Bhagwandat of Andre’s Entrees.
The evening started with pouring cocktails made from the brand new 8-year-old rum and hor’dourves flowing through the crowd with guests snapping pictures of the beautiful decor and setup.
The event started with greetings and welcome then was handed over to the Master Blender herself Dr. Joy Spence who used the opportunity to share the story behind the rum and she was even kind enough to give us a sample of the age 30 rum. Here is a little secret. Only 5 bottles live in the world and it’s at SummerHill LCBO. The age 30 was just a limited offer of only 4,000 bottles.
“Appleton rum is aged in the tropical climate of Jamaica, and is crafted with Jamaican limestone-filtered water, with no added flavours.”
Joy said she crafted this new rum to commemorate their 250th anniversary. This 8-year-old rum blend includes select reserve pot-still stock from Appleton’s renowned aged inventory.
Are you wondering what this rum is like? I can tell you that the 8-year-old is a sweet, smooth sipper and lends itself very well to quality cocktails. We tried it with a brown sugar daiquiri, old fashioned and an Appleton mule. I had a few so you know it’s good and I can still remember.
She further explained that this rum represents the vibrancy of Jamaica, its land and the joyful nature of its people. The 8-year-old reserve is one of Appleston’s most versatile expressions of aged rum, revealing aromas of spicy fruit and oak, followed by hints of honey, vanilla and a signature orange peel note.
The joyful experience: As the night went on, Joy awakened our palates and took us on a 3 minute masterclass. She explained the notes and flavors of the age 8 and how we can identify them.
When you first nose the rum, you get a distinctive orange peel top note, which is the hallmark of the Appleton Estate range with twisted hint of molasses. When you swirl the glass to release what Joy calls the Appleton spirit, you will smell notes of nutmeg, ginger, warm vanilla, butterscotch and hazelnut.
This rum is transitional, she explains that you can have it simply neat or as an elevated cocktail. Joy shared that her favorite elevated cocktail with the age 8 reserve is the brown sugar daiquiri. But when you taste the rum it is smooth and mellow with complex flavors. You also get notes of warm toasted oak finish with vanilla.
About Joy Spence: Joy fell in love with chemistry at age 13. Her dream was to become 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 enthralled with the process of blending rum. Joy’s prestige in the industry rose at a time when rum was primarily made and consumed by men, and her 1997 appointment as the world’s first female Master Blender certainly served to shatter the spirits industry’s glass ceiling. Joy was selected as the first female Master Blender because of her exceptional scenery skills, her knowledge and her passion that she has for rum. In this role Joy is responsible for creating new blends, simply put, it is Joy’s job to ensure that the Appleton Estate rum blends meet the high standards that consumers have grown to love and expect. In 2021 Joy will be celebrating her 40th anniversary with Appleton and big plans are on the way, so stay tuned.