With beautiful white sand beaches, spicy jerk cuisine and endless places to hear reggae beats, what can lure visitors up into the mountains? A visit to the Appleton Estate Rum Distillery.
The pride of Jamaica, Appleton Estate Rum has been distilled on the island since 1749, in the lush Nassau Valley, located in the southwestern area of the island. Thanks to the unique limestone formations of this area, the Appleton Estate benefits from the arable landscape which can produce all the ingredients needed for its rum and an endless supply of spring water from the Black River.
For those lured off the beach, go for a bus ride up into the mountains to visit the estate, which offers daily tours of its distillery. Depending on where you start, the bus ride can be from two to four hours, so plan to leave early. Winding up into the mountains of Jamaica, there are endless vistas of small houses, lush vegetation, numerous mango and breadfruit trees and sugar cane fields.
Visitors will learn about the rum-making process, the history of Appleton Estate and Jamaica, happily indulge in samples and taste the Jamaican cuisine offered in the Estate restaurant. During the tour, visitors will see the step by step process of taking sugar cane, molasses and water and its tranformation into rum.
Although the Appleton Estate donkey is still part of the tour, the beast’s burden is not to just crush sugar cane all day, but to inform guests of his ancestors’ role in the pre-industrial world of spirits creation.
Creating the elixir that is a staple of every Jamaican household is all done here under the watchful eye of master blender Joy Spence, a rare woman in an industry dominated by men. Spence joined Appleton Estate in 1981 as Chief Chemist and is the first woman to hold the title of master blender for distilled spirits.
Guests are welcome to sample the well-known varieties of Appleton Estate – VX, Estate Reserve, 21 year old and if you’re very lucky, the ability to purchase the very rare limited edition Appleton Estate 30 year old rum, released this year.
This precious liquid is not for downing in seconds; visitors are urged to treat Appleton Estate with the same respect given to fine wines – sniffing the bouquet, looking at the rich caramel colour and slowly sipping, letting the palate revel in the unique combination of sweet and smoky.
A complimentary bottle of rum is given to every tour patron – a historical record of this distinct and proud Caribbean nation.