Appleton Estate Jamaican Rum brings back 15 Year Old Black River Casks to Canada and launches globally
Appleton Estate® Jamaica Rum, from the oldest continuously-run rum distillery in Jamaica, announces an update to its premium rum lineup that celebrates the brand’s pursuit of excellence and commitment to the highest standards of rum production: the new super premium 15 Year Old Black River Casks rum, crafted by Master Blender Joy Spence. Originally launching in Canada only in September 2018, Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks is now releasing globally due to its initial success in the Canadian market.
The 15 Year Old Black River Casks is Appleton Estate’s premium expression of aged rum and comes just one year after the brand’s relaunch in 2020, which boasted newly designed packaging, better suited to the premium nature of the entire Appleton Estate portfolio. This new rum pays homage to the Black River in Jamaica’s Nassau Valley, whose waters flow from the spring from which we source the limestone-filtered water used to create all Appleton Estate rum.
Created by Master Blender Joy Spence, a luminary in the spirits world who celebrates her 40th anniversary this year at the distillery, Appleton Estate 15 Year Old Black River Casks reveals aromas of toasted almond and delicate hazelnut followed by notes of intense orange peel, rich vanilla and subtle hints of medium roasted coffee and molasses. This expression presents a coppery hue with a honey gold ring of age, ending with a creamy lingering finish.
Spence and her team hand-select each cask for this expression. “The rum that we chose for the 15 Year Old is a rare blend of pot and column-still rums resulting in rich and full-bodied finish,” says Joy. “There is a delicate spice with a fruity subtle oak ending that reflects the lush and fertile land that the Black River runs through here in the Nassau Valley.”
In keeping with the minimum age requirement on all Appleton Estate bottles, the 15 Year Old rum has been aged for at least 15 years, creating a smoother and more robust tasting experience. Appleton Estate rums age nearly three times more quickly in the tropical climate of Jamaica than spirits aged in cooler climates, allowing for richer, fuller flavours to develop in a shorter time. With refinement and elegance, the 15 Year Old offers grace imbued by age. But it’s not just the technical skills involved in distilling, ageing, and blending that give it its elegance.
“We cultivate all of the ingredients that go into every barrel of our rum,” Spence continues. “From the sugarcane we grow ourselves, to the limestone-filtered water we source from our spring, every step is carefully looked after, resulting in a beautiful rum.”
The Black River, the heart of Jamaica, is the soul of Appleton Estate rums. The limestone purifies the rain and the water’s movement through the ground gives it a mellow flavour. This character brings a unique profile to the fermentation of our molasses and to the distillation.
Black River Casks embodies all the hallmarks of the other Appleton Estate rums, but to an even higher degree. Black River Casks is a reminder of Appleton Estate’s terroir. Made with sugarcane harvested in the lush and fertile Nassau Valley, where the distillery is located, and aged entirely in Jamaica’s tropical heat, the spirit captures the island’s sense of place, and that includes the passionate souls of the craftspeople who make it.
As a super-premium addition to the Appleton Estate portfolio, the 15 Year Old Black River Casks is best enjoyed neat or on the rocks.
For more information visit: www.appletonestate.com and www.camparigroup.com.
ABOUT APPLETON ESTATE
Nestled in the heart of Jamaica, in the beautiful, lush Nassau Valley lies the Appleton Estate. For over 265 years, we have been crafting authentic, premium rums using time honored traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation. From cane to cocktail, our critically acclaimed rums are created by the environment, ingredients, and practices that are unique to our Estate. Our terroir, with its ideal climate, fertile soil and topography, the natural spring that supplies our water for fermentation, through to distillation, ageing and blending all combine to produce rums that are delicious and alive, vivid and deep with complex flavours and aromas. The Appleton Estate rum collection includes the Signature rum, 8 Year Old Reserve rum, 12 Year Old Rare Casks rum, 15 Year Old Black River Casks rum and 21 Year Old Nassau Valley Casks rum. Showcasing the Estate’s renowned aged rum inventory, limited edition offers, such as: 30 Year Old Jamaica rum and 50 Year Old Jamaican Independence Reserve. Additionally, in 2017, Appleton Estate introduced Joy Anniversary Blend, a limited-edition 25 Year Old rum to celebrate Joy Spence’s 20th Anniversary as the first female Master Blender in the spirits industry.
About Campari Canada
Campari Canada serves as the Canadian subsidiary of leading spirits company, Campari Group. Campari Canada serves as owner, importer, and marketer of a diverse portfolio of over 30 internationally-recognized brands spanning across all fine spirits categories. Among them is Canadian spirits company, Forty Creek Distillery Ltd., known for its award-winning range of complex yet approachable whiskies. With the Grimsby, Ontario-based Forty Creek location serving as the company’s bottling plant and warehouse, and corporate office headquartered in Toronto’s bourgeoning Liberty Village Campari Group’s portfolio of internationally-renowned brands includes Aperol, Appleton Estate, Bulldog Gin, Campari, Cinzano, Forty Creek, Grand Marnier, Glen Grant, SKYY Vodka, Espolòn Tequila, and Wild Turkey.
About the Campari Group
Davide Campari-Milano N.V., together with its affiliates (“Campari Group”), is a major player in the global beverage sector, trading in over 190 nations around the world with leading positions in Europe and the Americas. Campari Group was founded in 1860 and today is the sixth-largest player worldwide in the premium spirits industry. Campari Group’s portfolio, with over 50 brands, spans spirits (the core business), wines, and soft drinks. Its internationally-renowned brands include Aperol®, Appleton Estate®, Campari®, SKYY®, Wild Turkey®, and Grand Marnier®. Headquartered in Sesto San Giovanni, Italy, Campari Group owns 22 plants worldwide and has its own distribution network in 22 countries. Campari Group employs around 4,000 people. The shares of the parent company, Davide Campari-Milano N.V. (Reuters CPRI.MI – Bloomberg CPR IM), have been listed on the Italian Stock Exchange since 2001. For more information: www.camparigroup.com. Please enjoy our brands responsibly.
