Appleton Estate has introduced a limited-edition 50-year-old rum to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Jamaica’s independence. Titled the Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Independence Reserve, the new product is a blend of 20 rums each aged for a minimum of 50 years. Over the next five decades, the rum was carefully aged – first by Master Blender Owen Tulloch, then by current Master Blender Joy Spence. And, fun fact, it’s believed to be the world’s oldest rum.
The result is a dark mahogany rum with aromas of powerful oak and rich vanilla layered with cinnamon, maple and orange peel. And a finish that includes lots of honeyed oak.
The Appleton Estate 50 Year Old Jamaica Independence Reserve is packaged in a crystal decanter inspired by the traditional Appleton Estate bottle. The etchings and gold screen printing on the bottle mimic Jamaica’s Coat of Arms. The casing is complete with a gold-finished brass and cork stopper, and presented in a black lacquered gift box with gold-finished brass hinges. So should you be purchasing this as a gift, you’re all set.
Only 800 bottles of this rum have been produced, and the U.S. is only receiving a scant 70 bottles. So if you’d like to score some for yourself, jump to it. Also, bring $5,000, because that’s how much it costs.
Stats:
– 45% Alcohol by Volume
– $5,000
It’s almost against my religion to even speak of any rum costing much more than $30, with a few exceptions – like MGXO, Smith & Cross, Dos Maderas 5+3, or Meyer’s Legend. I actually considered buying the last of the actual Pusser’s authentic Navy Rum at about $800 – as this (unlike this 0.01% 50 year old – really does have irreplaceable tradition and history behind it.
And at The Rum Project we have held that true, 10-rated, world class rums in each of the five basic rum styles can be had for an average closer to the mid $20 range. So why buy, or even review a rum that at $5000 is basicly an insult to the 99% who are wanking their way through perhaps the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression.
Good taste is one thing. Crass materialism is quite another. Still, I would not begrudge anyone – including moi – the chance to taste a $5000 rum that still managed to score below a $19 bottle of Barbancourt Five Star.
I was at the roll-out in NYC at the venerable Lamb’s Club for the 50 year old. Each of us in attendance were given a tot of this gorgeous rum.
An honor!